mmj: 


iBtinniwirfiiww'^^nF™™""""''""— "'"—''  — — «— 


,1-  6  ,)  ,;.  .^  .i  .'  .'.  A  ;■  <s  6  .)  ''.  )  ■>  '])  ^-'  A  -•-■  A  <■■  ',  «  A  ''  /^'>j((5fiit!^ 

-V''-';'.  ■■ :  ;'.',■. ^"''.y  "7'-",''.  ^^'.■y'^'^^^^A 


HISTORY 


1'  : 


IS  TOWN  OF  riTTSFIELDji 


BERKSHIRE  COUNTY,  MASS. 


WITH      A      MAP      OK      T  H   K       C  (>   i;    N  T  V 


By  Rev.  DAVID  D.  FIELD. 

FORMKRLY    PASTOR    OF   THE    C0N(;RF,(;  ATION  AT,    nitTTRCH  IN 
STOCK  )!RIll(iK. 


HARTFORD. 

PRKSS  OF  CASE,  TIFFANY  AND  P.UrxNIlAM, 
Pearl  street,  corner  of  Trumbull. 
1S14. 


V-  ^^^Jw_> 


BOOK    974.4  1.F454H   c.  1 
FIELD    #   HISTORY   OF    TOWN   OF 
PITTSFIELD 


^^€0. 


HISTORY 


TOWN    OF    PITTSFIELD, 


BERKSHIRE  COUNTY,  MASS. 


WITH      A     MAP      OF      THE       COUNTY. 


By  Rev.  DAVID  D.  FIELD. 

FORMERLY    PASTOR   OF   THE   CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH   IN 
STOCKBRIDGE. 


HARTFORD. 

PRESS  OF  CASE,  TIFFANY  AND  BURNIIAM, 
Pearl  street,  comer  of  TrumbuH. 
1844. 


-an 


The  substance  of  the  following  history  was  published  in  a  series  of  num- 
bers in  the  Pittsfield  Sun,  from  July,  1834,  to  March,  1835.  These  have 
been  wrought  into  one  continuous  narrative,  and  the  history  is  brought  down 
to  the  present  time. 

The  Map  is  the  same  that  accompanied  the  History  of  the  County  of  Berk- 
shire, in  1S29,  in  which  the  writer  was  concerned  as  Committee  of  the  Berk- 
shire Association. 


HISTORY    OF   PITTSFIELD. 


Measures  )3cg-an  to  be  taken,  as  early  as  the  close  of 
1734,  which,  after  various  delays  and  embarrassments,  re- 
sulted in  the  settlement  of  this  charming  township.  In 
December  of  that  year,  the  General  Court  of  Massachu- 
setts gave  leave  to  Col.  John  Stoddard,  of  Northampton,  to 
lay  out  for  himself,  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  "  one 
thousand  acres  of  the  unappropriated  lands  of  the  Province, 
in  the  county  of  Hampshire,"  then  including  the  four  pres- 
ent western  counties  in  the  commonwealth,  "in  some  con- 
venient place,  in  consideration  of  his  great  services  and  suf- 
ferings in  and  for  the  public.^^  These  services  and  suffer- 
ings are  spoken  of  in  the  Act  of  the  Legislature  as  consist- 
ing '*  m  divers  journeys  to  Canada,  Albany  and  the  eastern 
parts,  upon  the  public  affairs ;  his  serving  in  the  war  with 
good  success,  [the  war  proclaimed  by  Massachusetts  against 
the  eastern  Indians,]  his  transactions  ivilh  the  Canada  In- 
dians and  other  western  Indians^  and  his  entertaining  of  them 
at  his  house  without  any  expense  to  the  Province. ^^  Col. 
Stoddard  was  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Solomon  Stoddard,  of  North- 
ampton, and  one  of  the  best  and  ablest  men  of  his  time. 

He  wisely  laid  out  the  thousand  acres  on  the  eastern 
branch  of  the  Housatonic  in  this  town.  He  also  purchased, 
at  great  expense,  several  grants  and  leases  from  the  natives, 
(the  Housatonic  or  Stockbridge  Indians,)  of  the  rest  of  the 
lands  in  this  place  ;  with  the  intention,  doubtless,  of  prepa- 
ring the  way  for  a  settlement. 
^  In  June,  1735,  the  General  Court  granted  to  the  town  of 
-  Boston  "  three  tracts  of  land,  each  of  the  contents  of  six 


miles  square,  to  be  laid  out  in  some  suitable  place  or  places 
in  tbe  unappropriated  lands  of  the  commonwealth."  This 
was  done  in  answer  to  a  petition  of  that  town,  "setting  forth 
the  great  charge  they  were  at,  for  the  support  of  their  poor, 
and  their  free  schools,  and  that  they  paid  near  a  fifth  part  of 
the  Province  tax."  They  were  to  be  laid  out,  and  plans 
thereof  returned  to  the  Court  for  confirmation,  within 
twelve  months.  The  town  of  Boston  was  also,  "  within  five 
years  from  the  confirmation  of  the  said  plans,  to  settle  on 
each  of  the  said  towns,  sixty  families  of  his  Majesty's  good 
subjects,  inhabitants  of  the  Province,  in  as  regular  and  de- 
fensible a  manner  as  the  lands  would  admit  of,  each  of  said 
sixty  families  to  build  and  finish  a  dwelling  house  in  his  home 
lot,  of  the  following  dimensions,  viz.  :  eighteen  feet  square 
and  seven  feet  stud,  at  the  least :  each  of  the  said  settlers, 
within  said  term,  was  to  bring  to,  and  fit  for  improvement, 
five  acres  of  said  home  lot,  either  hy  plowing,  or  for  mowing, 
by  stocking  the  same  well  with  English  grass,  and  fence  the 
same  well  in,  and  actually  live  on  the  spot :  they  were  fur- 
ther to  build  and  finish  a  suitable  and  convenient  house  for 
the  public  worship  of  God,  and  settle  a  learned  orthodox  min- 
ister in  each  of  the  said  towns,  and  provide  for  their  honora- 
ble and  comfortable  support,and  also  lay  out  three  house  lots 
in  each  of  the  said  towns,  each  of  which  to  draw  a  sixty  third 
part  of  said  town  in  all  future  divisions,  one  to  be  for  the  first 
settled  minister,  one  for  the  ministry,  and  one  for  the  school." 

The  three  townships,  laid  out  in  conformity  with  this 
grant,  v/ere  Colerain,  (called  then,  No.  1,)  Charlemont, 
(called  No.  2,)  and  Pittsfield,  notwithstanding  the  1000 
acres  in  it  given  to  Col.  Stoddard,  and  the  purchases  of  grants, 
and  leases  which  lie  had  made  from  the  Indians. 

The  selectmen  of  Boston,  by  lawful  authority  from  the 
inhabitants,  March  13,  1737,  sold  Pittsfield,  or  rather  their 
right  to  it,  to  Col.  Jacob  Wendell,  of  Boston,  for  ^£1320. 

In  the  month  of  September,  in  the  following  year.  Col. 
Wendell  extinguished  a  claim  which  Masinamake,  alias 
Solomon,  one  of  the  Makehande  Indians,  made  to  the  lands 
in  Pittsfield,  and  to  lands  now  included  in  some  adjoining 


places,  for  the  sum  of  ^£120.  Wlieflier  liis  claim  was  good 
or  not,  after  the  purchase  of  grants  and  leases  by  Col.  Stod- 
dard, it  is  gratifying  to  know  that  there  was  no  disposition 
on  the  part  of  Col.  Wendell  to  wrong  the  natives,  and  that 
the  lands  here,  and  in  the  vicinity,  were  fairly  and  honora- 
bly obtained.  The  natives  were  treated  justly  and  kindly 
in  Berkshire;  and  it  is  due  to  the  memory  of  the  Housaton- 
ic  Indians,  (whose  descendants  have  gone  towards  the  set- 
ting sun,)  to  say,  that  by  their  general  friendship  and  exer- 
tions, they  contributed  much  to  the  safety  of  our  fathers. 

This  claim  being  extinguished,  in  December,  1738,  a 
plat  of  the  township  was  presented  to  the  General  Court. 
Although  this  was  not  performed  as  soon  as  the  act  grant- 
ing these  townships  conditionally  to  Boston  contemplated, 
yet  the  plat  "  was  accepted  and  allowed,  and  the  lands 
therein  delineated  and  described  were  confirmed  to  the  town 
of  Boston  and  their  assigns  forever,  (exclusive  of  the  1000 
acres  grant  made  to  the  Hon.  John  Stoddard,  Esq.)  and  was 
declared  to  be  in  full  satisfaction  of  one  of  the  three  town- 
ships granted  to  the  town  of  Boston,  provided  the  said  town 
or  their  assigns  should  effectually  comply  with  and  fulfil 
the  conditions  of  the  grant,  and  that  the  plat  exceed  not 
the  quantity  of  24,040  acres  of  land,  and  interfere  not  with 
an)'^  other  or  former  grant." 

la  the  above  plat,  with  a  view  of  preparing  the  way  for 
meeting  some  of  the  conditions  of  the  grant,  sixty  settling  lots 
containing  100  acres  each  were  laid  out  in  three  adjoining 
tiers,  running  from  west  to  east,  in  near  the  centre  of  the 
townsliip,  togetlier  with  three  lots  of  the  same  size  for  public 
uses.  The  middle  tier,  containing  twenty-seven  lots,  ran  en- 
tirelythrough  the  townsliip.  It  fronted  north  on  the  principal 
western  and  eastern  road,  so  far  as  that  pursued  a  straight 
course.  The  upper  tier,  beginning  on  the  west,  contained 
nineteen  lots — and  the  lower,  beginning  on  the  east,  seven- 
teen. The  public  lots  embraced  a  large  portion  of  the  grounds 
now  within  the  village  of  Pittsfield.  The  situation  of  the  lot 
designed  for  the  first  minister,  and  subsequently  given  to  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Allen,  is  well  known.     The  lot  for  the  support 


of  the  ministry  forever  lay  opposite,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
north  road,  and  was  many  years  afterwards  sold  to  Col.  John 
Brown  and  Dr.  Timothy  Childs.  The  school  lot  lay  in  the 
middle  tic'r,  a  little  to  the  southeast  of  the  Allen  lot. 

For  the  amicable  settlement  of  their  mutual  claims  and 
interests  in  the  township,  Col.  Wendell  entered  into  the  fol- 
lowing- agreement  with  Col.  Stoddard,  May  29,  1741  : — "  In 
consideration  of  two  third  parts  of  the  thousand  acres," 
(which  have  been  repeatedly  mentioned,)  "and  all  the  right, 
title,  interest  and  claim  which  Col.  Stoddard  had  by  means 
of  his  grants  and  leases  from  the  natives,  or  by  any  other 
ways  or  means  w4iatsocvcr,  of  and  in  two  thirds  of  the  rest" 
of  the  township,  Col.  Wendell  conveyed  to  him  his  other 
third  part  of  the  township  "  upon  the  conditions  and  limita- 
tions whereon  the  same  was  granted  to  the  town  of  Boston." 

By  this  agreement,  the  settling  lots  were  fairly  brought 
into  market  in  the  summer  of  1741.  But  by  this  time,  there 
was  a  strong  presumption  that  France  would  take  part  with 
Spain  in  the  existing  w^ar  w^itli  Great  Britain,  that  the  con- 
troversy would  involve  the  North  American  Colonies,  and 
that  Pittsfield,  (if  families  located  themselves  in  it,)  would 
be  exposed  to  the  dangers  of  a  frontier  settlement.  This 
presumption  was  realized  in  the  early  part  of  1744.  The 
consequence  was,  that  the  settlement  of  the  town  was  de- 
layed until  some  time  after  that  war  was  closed.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Allen  indeed,  the  first  minister  of  the  town,  who  had 
the  best  means  of  knowing  its  history,  affirms,  "  that  the 
first  inhabitants  came  into  the  town  in  1745."  By  this, 
however,  he  probably  means  no  more  than  that  some  of 
those  who  afterwards  became  settlers,  this  year  visited  the 
town  and  purchased  lots  ;  for  the  writer  of  this  has  not  been 
able  to  find  any  evidence  that  clearings  were  made  previous 
to  the  summer  of  1749.  In  that  year,  Nathaniel  Fairfield 
and  Timothy  Cadwell  labored  on  some  lands  in  the  east  or 
southeast  part  of  the  township,  as  David  Ashley  did,  and  it 
is  understood  Samuel  Taylor  did  in  the  west  part.  Others 
may  have  labored  in  the  town  that  year,  or  in  subsecpient 
years ;    but  no  settlement  was  made  until  1752. 


ACTUAL    SETTLEMENT. 

Early  in  this  year,  Solomon  Deming-  moved  his  family 
into  the  east  part  of  the  town,  and  settled  where  George 
Butler  now  lives.  Mrs.  Deming  was  the  first  white  female 
that  came  into  the  town ;  and  was  often  left  alone  through 
the  night  by  the  necessary  absence  of  her  husband,  when 
there  was  not  another  wiiite  inhabitant  in  the  town,  and  the 
wilderness  was  filled  with  Indians.  This  year  Charles 
Goodrich  settled  near  where  Hosea  Merrill  Jun.  now  lives. 
He  drove  the  first  team  and  cart  into  the  town,  cutting  his 
way  for  a  number  of  miles  througli  the  woods.  Nathaniel 
Fairfield  also  this  year  settled  on  the  road  running  east  from 
the  house  of  the  late  Deacon  Daniel  Crofoot,  and  Zebadiah 
Stiles,  on  a  rise  of  ground  west  of  the  dwelling  of  the  late 
Dr.  Childs.  It  is  understood  that  Abner  and  Isaac  Dewey, 
Jacob  Ensign,  Hezekiah  Jones,  Samuel  Taylor,  Elias  Wil- 
lard,  and  Dea.  Josiah  Wright,  became  settlers  this  year,  and 
that  Stephen  and  Simeon  Crofoot,  David  Bush,  and  Col. 
William  Williams,  became  settlers  the  year  following.  In 
the  latter  year,  Solomon  Deming,  Charles  Goodrich,  and 
others,  were  incorporated  by  the  name  of  "  the  Proprietors 
of  the  settling  lots  in  the  township  of  Pontoosuck,"  the 
Indian  name  by  which  Pittsfield  was  then  called — signify- 
ing a  run  for  deer.  This  was  hunting  ground  for  the  Hou- 
satonic  Indians.  Their  first  public  meeting  under  the 
incorporation  was  held  in  September,  at  which  measures 
were  adopted  for  carrying  forward  the  plantation.  A  similar 
meeting  w^as  held  in  August,  1754,  during  which  year,  Eli 
Root  Esq.,  Ephraim  Stiles,  William  Wright,  and  perhaps 
others,  became  inhabitants.  This  year  hostilities  commen- 
ced between  France  and  England,  in  w^hat  is  commonly 
called  "  the  second  French  war,"  though  it  was  not  formally 
proclaimed  until  two  years  afterwards.  In  the  summer  of 
1755,  some  Indians  invaded  this  County,  which  so  alarmed 
the  people,  that  the  inhabitants  of  Pittsfield  and  Lenox  fled 
to  Stockbridge  for  protection.     On  their  way  a  man  by  the 


8 

name  of  Stearns,  belonging  to  Canaan,  Ct.  who  had  been 
laboring  in  Pittsfield,  and  who  had  behind  him  on  horseback 
a  young  woman,  daughter  of  Sylvanus  Piercey,  of  this  town, 
was  shot  dead  by  the  enemy,  while  the  young  woman  es- 
caped unhurt.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  returned  to  Pittsfield 
the  following  spring,  and  dwelt  in  four  fortified  houses, 
erected  about  this  time,  or  so  near  to  them  that  they  could 
resort  to  them  in  case  of  danger.  Perhaps  in  that  year,  or 
within  one  oi  two  succeeding  years,  all  returned.  Benja- 
min Keeler  is  said  to  have  joined  them  in  1757,  and  Dan 
Cadwell  in  1758.  One  of  the  fortified  houses  stood  where 
Levi  Goodrich  now  lives,  and  was  then  occupied  by  Col. 
Williams.  Another  was  the  house  of  Charles  Goodrich, 
near  Mr.  Merrill's,  above  mentioned.  A  third  stood  on  the 
land  now  owned  by  William  Fairfield ;  and  the  fourth, 
"  about  fifty  rods  south  of  the  west  pond,  on  an  eminence 
that  overlooks  all  that  part  of  the  town." 

Soldiers  were  stationed  in  the  town  by  order  of  the  gov- 
ernment. But  the  people  were  so  few  or  so  discouraged,  that 
they  held  no  meetings  for  advancing  the  settlement,  if  we 
may  judge  from  the  silence  of  the  town  records,  until  Sept. 
1758.  At  this  time  there  were  about  twenty  log  huts  in  the 
town,  (whether  occupied  or  not  I  cannot  say)  and  from  this 
place  north,  unless  there  were  some  clearings  about  Massa- 
chusetts Fort,  in  East  Hoosic,  now  Adams,  all  was  a  wilder- 
ness to  Canada,  eastward  or  south-eastward  to  Westfield, 
and  westward  to  Kinderhook.  In  1759  the  war  was  consid- 
ered as  substantially  closed  in  the  colonies  by  the  success  of 
the  British  arms  in  Canada,  and  the  prospects  of  this  town 
began  to  brighten,  though  peace  was  not  actually  ratified 
between  the  French  and  English  until  1763. 

The  following  persons  are  understood  from  circumstances 
to  have  moved  into  the  town  this  year,  namely  :  Samuel 
Birchard,  Daniel  Hubbard,  Daniel  and  Jesse  Sacket,  and 
Jonathan  Taylor.  I  say  are  understood  from  circumstances 
to  have  moved  in  this  year  ;  for  there  is  no  inconsiderable 
difficulty  in  finding  exactly  at  this  time,  at  what  period  the 
early  settlers  planted  themselves  here. 


Ill  September  of  this  year,  (1759)  Jacob  Wendell  and 
others,  in  their  own  names,  or  by  their  representatives,  l)e- 
soii<^ht  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Commonwealth,  for  a 
committee  to  make  division  of  all  the  lands  in  the  township 
to  them,  with  the  exception  of  the  settling-  and  public  lots, 
according  (o  their  respective  rights.  The  petition  was 
granted,  and  a  committee  appointed,  consisting  of  John 
Ashley,  Esq,,  Capt.  Ebenezer  Hitchcock,  Natlianiel  Dwiglit 
(the  Surveyor,)  John  Chadwick,  and  Lieut.  Daniel  Biown. 
The  lands  were  surveyed  the  same  autumn,  and  laid  out  in 
squares,  containing  generally  from  230  to  290  acres.  These 
were  put  into  three  classes,  according  to  their  quality,  and 
assigned  to  the  proprietors  in  1760.  At  this  time  Col. 
Wendell  owned  about  one  quarter  of  the  township,  the 
heirs  of  Col.  Stoddard  nearly  as  much,  Moses  Green  and 
Charles  Goodrich  owned  about  1000  acres  each.  A  few  others 
owned  smaller  quantities.  This  year  David  and  Oliver 
Ashey,  William  Francis,  and  Gideon  Gunn,  are  understood 
to  have  become  settlers.  Joshua  Robbins  and  Ezekiel  Root 
became  inhabitants  before  the  incorporation  of  the  town, 
which  took  place  early  in  1761,  and  was  named  Pittsfield, 
in  honor  of  William  Pitt,  Earl  of  Chatham.  This  distin- 
guished statesman  and  orator  having  been  introduced  into 
the  British  ministry,  had  imparted  new  vigor  to  the  British 
arms  against  the  French,  in  America,  and  had  become  very 
popular  in  the  colonies.  During  the  year  last  mentioned, 
Gideon  Goodrich,  James  Lord,  Charles  Miller,  Thomas 
Morgan,  Daniel  and  David  Noble,  William  Phelps,  and 
John  Remington,  are  understood  to  have  become  inhab- 
itants. 

In  1762,  3,  and  4,  the  following  persons  are  understood 
to  have  settled  here,  namely  :  Phinehas  Belden,  Solomon 
Crosby,  Israel  Dickinson,  Elisha  Jones,  Jno.  Morse,  David 
Roberts,  Aaron  Stiles,  Israel  Stoddard,  John  and  Caleb 
Wadhams,  Aaron  and  Phinehas  Baker,  William  Brattle, 
Col.  James  Easton,  Benjamin  and  Josiah  Goodrich,  Moses 
Miller,  Joseph  Phelps,  Amos  Root,  John  Williams,    Rev. 

Thomas  Allen,  Jas.  D.  Colt,  Ezra  and  King  Strong.   Dr. 

2 


10 

Colton,  Rufus  Allen,  John  Strong-,  and  a  number  of  others, 
prohahly  became  inhabitants  during  these  years.  Not  long 
after,  Joseph  Allen,  David  Bagg,  Lieut.  Moses  Graves, 
Woodbridge  Little,  Esq.,  Col.  Oliver  Root,  Ebenezcr  White, 
and  many  others,  settled  in  town. 

Most  of  the  inhabitants  who  have  been  mentioned, 
settled  on  the  house  lots,  some  on  the  squares.  On  the  road 
running  west  from  the  centre  were  Zebediah  and  Ephraim 
Stiles,  Ezia  Strong,  Charles  Miller,  David  Roberts,  David 
Ashley,  Amos  and  Oliver  Root,  and  others  by  the  name  of 
Wright,  Rol;bins,  Belden,  Hubbard,  Francis  and  Wadhams  ; 
east  were  Rev.  Mr.  Allen,  John  Strong,  Dr.  Colton,  the 
Crofoots,  and  Jaco])  Ensign  ;  and  further  on  to  the  northeast 
Josiah  and  Charles  Goodrich,  Israel  Stoddard,  Israel  Dick- 
inson, and  Col.  William  Williams  ;  south  were  Col.  Easton, 
Sylvanus  Pierscy,  Ezekiel  Root,  Daniel  Miller,  (where  Mr. 
William  Hollister  now  lives)  James  Lord  and  Elisha  Jones. 
Rufus  Allen  kept  a  public  house  on  the  corner  now  occupied 
by  William  B.  Cooley,  and  further  north  towards  Lanesboro', 
were  Josepli  Allen,  and  the  families  by  the  name  of  Baker 
and  Keeler.  On  the  road  eastward  of  Daniel  Weller's,  or 
near  it,  were  the  Fairfields,  David  Bush,  Eli  Root,  Esc^., 
Hezekiah  Jones,  William  Brattle,  and  Solomon  Doming. 
Col.  Williams  early  moved  on  to  this  road  from  the  spot 
where  Levi  Goodiich  now  lives,  and  where  Lieut.  Graves 
settled  after  him.  Charles  Goodrich,  Esq.  left  the  farm  on 
which  he  first  lived,  and  settled  near  him. 

A  large  portion  of  the  early  settlers  were  from 
Westfield,  all  by  the  name  of  Ashley,  Bagg,  Bush,  Cad- 
well,  Dewey,  Francis,  Hubbard,  Noble,  Piersey,  Sackett, 
Stiles,  Taylor  and  Weller.  Hezekiah  Jones  was  also  from 
this  town.  Those  of  the  name  of  Brattle,  Deming,  Goodrich, 
Gunn,  Lord,  Robbins  and  Wiliard,  were  from  Wethersfield, 
Ct.  The  Aliens,  Bakers,  Fairfields,  Phelpses,  Stoddards, 
Strongs  and  Wrights,  were  from  Northampton  ;  and  the 
Crofoots  from  Belchertown.  Col.  Williams  and  Elisha 
Jones  were  from  Weston  ;  Lieut.  Graves  and  Israel  Dick- 
inson   were    from   Hatfield.      Thomas   Morgan  w^as   from 


11 

Springfield,  nnd  John  Remington  from  West  Springfield, 
Ebenczer  White  was  from  Hadley.  David  Roberts  was 
from  Hartford,  and  Jacob  Ensign  from  West  Hartford,  Ct. 
Col.  Easton  was  immediately  from  Litchfield,  previonsly 
from  Hartford.  Joseph  Kcelcr  was  from  Ridgefield,  Wood- 
bridge  Little,  Esq.  from  Lebanon,  and  James  D.  Colt  from 
Lyme  in  the  same  State. 

Valentine  Rathbim,  from  Stonington,  Ct,  settled  in  this 
town  about  1770.  Dr.  Timothy  Childs,  from  Deerfield,  in 
1771,  and  Stephen  Fowler  and  Josiah  Moscly,  from  West- 
field,  about  1772.  Col.  John  Brown,  from  Sandisfield, 
settled  here  in  1773.  In  1775,  Gad  Merrill,  from  Hebron, 
Ct.  settled  to  the  north  of  the  east  branch  of  the  Housatonic, 
near  Dalton  line ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1780,  William  and 
John  Partridge  settled  a  little  west  of  him. 

Besides  these  inhabitants,  a  considerable  number  settled 
early  in  this  town,  as  others  did  at  later  periods.  But  from 
those  named,  a  large  portion  of  the  present  inhabitants  have 
descended,  and  many  hundreds  who  have  emigrated  to  other 
parts  of  the  country.  There  were  probably  as  many  as 
sixty  families  here  in  1761,  when  the  town  was  incorpora- 
ted. Allowing  six  persons  to  a  family,  there  must  have 
been  a  population  of  360  souls.  In  1772,  the  number  of 
families  was  138,  which  contained  828  souls,  according  to 
the  same  principle  of  calculation.  The  population,  accord- 
ing to  the  census  in  1791,  was  1992  souls;  in  1800,  2261  ; 
in  1810,  2665 ;  in  1820,  2768 ;  in  1830,  3570  ;  and  in  1840, 
4060,  The  population  has  very  mnch  increased  since,  and 
proliably  amounts  now  to  4500, 

The  emigrations  from  this  town  have  been  very  numer- 
ous, though  most  of  the  first  and  earlier  settlers  lived  and 
died  here.  A  few  of  these  returned  back  to  the  places  from 
whence  they  came,  moved  to  neighboring  towns,  or  went  to 
other  States,  Of  the  second  and  third  generations,  many 
have  helped  to  people  parts  of  Vermont,  New  York,  Ohio 
Michigan,  and  other  places  in  the  country.  It  would  be 
interesting,  were  there  facts  on  hand  sufficient  for  doing  it, 
to  give  the  names  of  those  who  have  emigrated,  to  state  the 


12 

limes  of  their  departure,  and  the  towns  where  they  settled. 
This  can  now  be  done  only  in  a  small  number  of  instances, 
comparatively  speaking.  Sylvanus  Piersey  moved  back  to 
Westfield,  and  James  Lord,  to  Wethersfield  or  Glastenbury, 
Ct.  Jno.  Morse  moved  first  to  Washington,  and  then  to 
Pittsford,  N.  Y.  Solomon  Crosby  moved  to  Genoa,  in  that 
State.  Joseph  Wright  and  sons  early  moved  to  Vermont ; 
some  by  the  name  of  Dewey,  moved  first  to  Washington, 
and  then  to  Vermont.  About  1790,  Dea.  Joseph  Clark, 
Phinehas  Belden,  Charles  Miller  and  sons,  and  Solomon  and 
Wait  Martin,  moved  to  Benson  ;  some,  it  is  understood,  by 
the  name  of  Goodrich,  to  Pittsfield,  in  the  same  State. 
Others  by  the  name  of  Ashley,  Bliss  and  Stiles,  moved 
to  that  State  likew^ise.  Thomas  Morgan  moved  to  the 
town  of  Salem,  and  Elder  Rathbun,  and  John  Remington, 
2d,  to  Oneida  Co.  N.  Y.  The  family  of  Joshua  Narramore, 
and  some  by  the  name  of  Graves,  Jones  and  Fowler,  have 
moved  to  New  York.  Some  by  the  name  of  Ashley  have 
gone  to  Ohio,  and  by  the  name  of  Larned,  to  Michigan. 
Many  others  have  probably  gone  to  these  as  well  as  to  other 
States  and  Territories. 

OCCUPATION    OF    THE    INHABITANTS. 

The  early  settlers,  as  might  be  supposed,  from  their 
planting  themselves  down  in  different  parts  of  the  township, 
were  very  generally  farmers.  They  were  enterprising  young 
men,  who  had  been  trained  up  to  this  employment  in  the 
favored  towns  from  which  they  emigrated,  then  almost  de- 
voted exclusively  to  agriculture.  They  purchased  lots  of 
sufficient  extent  to  render  them  highly  respectable  as  farm- 
ers, and  to  lay  a  foundation  for  the  education  and  happiness 
of  their  families.  They  could  hardly  have  made  a  better 
selection  of  land. 

Though  surrounded  by  mountains,  and  though  points 
from  Richmond  and  Washington  mountains  project  into  it 
short  distances,  this  township  is  far  more  level  than  town- 
ships generally  in  Berkshire,  and  more  generally  capable 
of  cultivation.     It  occupies  the   widest  expansion  of  tbe 


13 

Housatonic  valley  in  the  county.  There  is  little  waste  land  : 
the  alluvial  land  on  the  branches  of  the  Housatonic  corres- 
ponds in  richness  with  that  which  is  found  elsewhere  on  this 
river,  and  is  very  productive.  Some  of  it  is  enriched  by  the 
overflowing  of  the  streams.  The  soil  of  the  upland  is  gen- 
erally of  a  superior  quality,  consisting  of  loam  with  an  inter- 
mixture of  sand  and  gravel,  and  is  adn})ted  to  all  tliat  varie- 
ty of  crops  cultivated  in  this  section  of  country.  Sand  pre- 
vails most  in  the  southern  and  eastern  parts,  and  gravel  in 
the  northern  and  western  :  in  the  west,  too,  there  is  some 
hard-pan. 

Tlie  township  is  also  remarkably  well  watered.  The 
eastern  branch  of  the  Housatonic  river,  rising  in  mountain 
towns  eastward,  passing  through  Dalton,  enters  this  town 
near  its  northeast  corner,  where  it  takes  a  southwesterly  di- 
rection till  it  comes  within  about  a  half  of  a  mile  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Pittsfield,  where  it  turns  southward. 

The  western  branch  rises  in  New  Ashford  and  passes 
through  Lanesborough  and  Lanesborough  pond,  which  ex- 
tends into  this  town,  and  in  which  the  stream  is  increased 
by  subjacent  springs.  The  outlet,  here  commonly  called 
the  Pontoosuc  river,  runs  nearly  south,  passing  the  village 
about  half  a  mile  to  the  west,  receiving  on  its  way,  a 
stream  from  the  West  Pond  and  Shaker  Brook.  About 
three  fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  village,  after  the  reception 
of  the  latter  tributary,  it  runs  eastward  and  unites  with  the 
eastern  branch,  whence  the  Housatonic  flov/s  onward  into 
Lenox,  augmented  further  before  it  enters  t/^at  town  by  a 
considerable  brook  rising  in  Washington. 

The  importance  of  these  branches,  with  some  of  their 
tributaries,  for  mills  and  factories,  will  be  noticed  hereafter. 
Suffice  it  to  say  here,  that  these  waters,  with  the  connected 
factories,  buildings  and  settlements  greatly  diversify  and 
beautify  the  scenery.  The  town  strikes  the  eye  with  pecu- 
liar pleasure,  as  it  is  entered  from  all  the  neighboring  places. 

Formerly  wheat  and  rye  were  raised  here  in  great  abun- 
dance ;  large  quantities  of  which  were  carried  to  the  mar- 
ket towns  on  the   Hudson  river.     Merchants   were  in  the 


14 

habit  of  exchanging-  beef,  pork,  butter  and  che.ese  for  goods 
in  New  York.  Wheat  is  not  now  much  cultivated ;  flour 
being  brought  in  from  the  West,  and  as  to  the  other  articles 
which  are  raised,  and  raised  abundantly,  a  market  is  found 
for  them  at  home.  All  the  common  crops  cultivated  in  the 
county  are  cultivated  in  this  place.  The  grounds  and  buil- 
dings, in  most  instances,  bear  marks  of  thrift  and  enjoyment, 
though  it  must  be  confessed  that  a  few  exhibit  no  small  ap- 
pearance of  neglect  and  decay.  The  Berkshire  Agricultu- 
ral Society,  whose  annual  meetings,  cattle  show  and  fair 
have  been  uniformly  held  here,  drawing  together  a  large 
assembly  from  this  and  neighboring  towns,  has  contributed 
much  to  excite  a  spirit  of  inquiry,  emulation  and  enterprise 
among  many  of  the  cultivators  of  the  soil. 

In  1790,  there  was  no  appearance  of  a  village  in  the  cen- 
tre ;  nor  were  there  any  considerable  clusters  of  dwellings 
along  the  streams.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  mechan- 
ics, the  most  needful  to  a  farming  population,  nearly  every 
man  throughout  the  township  supported  himself  and  fami- 
ly by  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  The  vast  amount  of  water 
power  was  hardly  thought  of  for  any  other  purpose  than  the 
turning  of  a  few  mills  of  the  most  common  description,  un- 
til within  a  period  comparatively  recent,  excepting  some 
forges  on  the  Pontoosuc  and  the  outlet  of  the  West  Pond. 
Now  this  power  is  turned  to  great  account,  and  may  be  to 
greater  hereafter.  Hundreds  of  mechanics  dwell  here,  and 
it  is  practically  shown  that  farmers  and  mechanics  may 
greatly  contribute  to  each  other's  prosperity  and  happiness. 

WATER-PRIVILEGES    USED,    ABANDONED,    UNOCCUPIED;    MILLS, 
PAST  AND  PRESENT  ;    FACTORIES. 

The  eastern  branch  of  the  Housatonic  affords  important 
water  privileges  before  it  enters  this  town,  in  Dalton  and 
Hinsdale,  on  which  several  factories  are  already  erected. 
On  this,  soon  after  it  enters  the  town,  a  saw-mill  was  built 
about  1777,  which  has  been  kept  up  until  the  present  time, 
and  saws  a  great  amount  of  lumber.     On  this,  as  it  approach- 


15 

es  the  village,  Root's  Factory  was  built  in  1809  or  '10.  It 
was  first  used  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  and  then  of 
cotton,  but  has  ceased  to  be.  Tlie  great  difficulty  about 
it  was,  that  the  water  fall  could  not  be  made  more  than  four 
feet,  without  injuring-  the  important  meadows  back.  It 
was  believed  by  some,  that  machinery  might  have  been 
turned  without  injury,  by  the  inlroduction  of  a  water-wheel 
of  the  right  construction. 

Immediately  upon  the  settlement  of  the  town,  Dea.  Ste- 
phen Crofoot  contemplated  the  erection  of  a  grist-mill  and 
a  saw-mill  on  this  stream,  near  where  "  White's  Mills"  re- 
cently were.  The  privilege  lay  within  the  limits  of  the 
school  lot.  Accordingly,  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  propri- 
etors, after  their  incorporation,  in  Sept.  1753,  a  part  of  the 
business  was,  "  To  choose  some  person  or  persons  to  make 
exchange  of  a  part  of  the  school-lot,  for  some  part  of  Dea- 
Crofoot's  lot,  so  as  to  accommodate  his  mills ;  and  to  sec 
what  the  proprietors  would  give  to  Dea.  Crofoot  for  setting 
up  the  mills."  It  was  at  this  time,  a  great  object  with  the 
proprietors  to  secure  the  erection  of  the  mills,  especially 
of  the  grist  mill ;  for  there  was  no  place  where  they  could 
get  their  grain  floured  nearer  than  "  Great  Barrington 
Bridge,"  twenty  miles  distant,  and  for  a  great  part  of  the 
way,  through  a  wilderness.  A  small  grist-mill,  indeed, 
existed  on  Sepoos,  or  Barnum's  brook,  in  Stockbridge  ;  but 
it  was  insufficient  to  do  the  grinding  for  that  town.  What 
agreement  was  entered  into  at  first,  the  writer  is  not  now 
able  to  state,  nor  how  soon  precisely  the  mills  were  built. 
Their  erection  may  have  been  delayed  by  the  jirospect  and 
occurrence  of  the  "  Second  French  War."  Eventually, 
however,  the  town  granted  to  Dea.  Crofoot  the  use  of  the 
mill  privilege  for  a  given  number  of  5^ears,  and  he  placed 
himself  under  bonds  to  keep  the  grist-mill  in  a  state  of  re- 
pair for  the  accommodation  of  the  inhabitants.  The  mills 
were  built,  and  in  connection  with  them  a  fulling  mill,  be- 
longing to  Jacob  Ensign.  In  1778,  the  term  of  the  lease 
to  Crofoot  having  expired,  the  town  sold  the  "  mill  privi- 
lege" to  Ebenezer  White,  in  whose  hands,  and  in  those  of 


16 

his  son,  Enoch  White,  the  privilege  remained  until  1842, 
when  it  was  purchased  by  Thomas  F.  Plunkett,  the  present 
owner  of  Pittsfield  Cotton  Mills,  (so  called)  about  forty  rods 
below,  that  he  might  have  the  entire  control  of  the  water. 
The  mills  are  removed,  though  the  owner  has  permitted  a 
saw-mill  to  be  built  on  the  site  of  the  gristmill,  on  certain 
conditions,  one  of  which  is,  that  the  mill  shall  be  run  only 
when  and  so  far  as  it  may  be  run  without  injury  to  his  own 
establishment,  he  himself  being  judge.  The  Cotton  Mills 
were  erected  in  1832.  The  factory  is  a  large  brick  build- 
ing, eighty  feet  by  forty,  with  a  wheel-house  attached. 
The  average  number  of  hands  is  seventy,  who  are  employ- 
ed in  making  light  sheetings,  the  only  style  of  goods  here 
manufactured.  Three  hundred  and  forty-six  bales,  or  164,- 
500  pounds  of  cotton  are  annually  used.  They  are  ma- 
king sheetings  this  year,  at  the  rate  of  630,000  yards,  hav- 
ing more  and  some  improved  machinery. 

The  west  branch  of  the  Hoiisatonic,  or  Pontoosuc  river, 
as  it  is  more  commonly  named,  after  it  passes  from  the  North 
or  Lanesborough  Pond,  to  its  junction  with  the  east  branch, 
a  distance  of  three  or  four  miles,  is  a  very  important  mill 
stream.  The  North  Pond  itself,  Shoonkemoonkeek  in  the 
Indian  language,  (Shoonkemoonke,  as  the  English  pro- 
nounce it,)  covering  an  area  of  1400  acres,  and  in  some 
places  of  great  depth,  is  a  vast  reservoir  of  water,  and  being 
supplied  by  subjacent  springs,  as  well  as  by  the  streams 
which  flow  into  it  from  New  Ashford  and  Lanesborough,  af- 
fords an  outlet,  capable  of  turning  a  much  greater  quantity 
of  machinery  than  is  now  placed  upon  it,  extensively  as  it 
is  already  improved.  It  is  not  affected  by  drought,  as 
streams  generally  are.  The  armory,  the  oldest  establish- 
ment now  existing  upon  it,  has  never  been  stopped  a  day 
for  the  want  of  water,  nor  by  such  a  rise  in  the  stream,  as 
to  cause  the  waters  to  flow  back.  The  fall  from  the  surface 
of  the  pond  to  the  Woolen  Factory,  southwest  of  the  vil- 
lage, two  and  a  half  miles  perhaps,  is  not  less  than  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  or  thirty  feet.  From  the  first  one  and  a 
quarter  or  one  and  a  half  miles,  to  Goodrich's  factory,  this 


17 

is  so  great,  that  the  entire  stream  may  be  used  many  times 
over,  while  farther  on,  where  the  fall  is  less,  the  stream  is 
increased  by  the  outlet  of  West  Pond,  a  pond  said  to  cover 
a  greater  area  than  the  North  Pond,  though  it  does  not  send 
forth  as  much  water,  having  no  consideral^lc  brooks  running 
into  it.     The  proportion  is  about  as  two  to  three. 

In  Sept.  1762,  Joseph  Keeler,  of  Ridgefield,  Ct.  purchased 
two  tracts  of  land,  containing  together  about  two  hundred 
acres  on  the  south-west  and  south-east  shore  of  the  North 
pond,  extending  down  the  outlet  some  forty  rods ;  on  which, 
in  the  course  of  that  or  the  succeeding  year,  he  erected  a 
grist-mill  and  a  saw-mill ;  the  former  of  which  was  kept  up 
until  within  a  very  few  years.  The  site  of  the  latter,  some 
years  since,  was  occupied  by  a  scythe  shop.  Both  are  now 
gone. 

Where  the  Pontoosuc  factory  is,  a  saw-mill  was  early 
erected  ;  and  where  Pomeroy's  gun  factory  is,  a  forge  was 
built  probably  not  long  after  1770,  which  was  improved  as 
a  forge  l)y  different  individuals  or  companies,  and  sometimes 
to  a  very  considerable  extent,  until  1805  or  6.  Ore  for  this 
was  procured  mostly  from  Cone's  bed  in  Richmond,  some 
was  obtained  from  a  bed  in  the  west  part  of  Lanesboro', 
while  some  was  picked  up  on  the  farms  of  the  inhabitants 
in  the  neighborhood. 

Where  Goodrich's  mill  dam  now  is,  there  was  a  fulling- 
mill,  belonging  to  Dea.  Matthew  Barber,  and  also  a  saw- 
mill as  early  as  1776. 

Below  the  junction  of  West  pond  brook  with  the  Pontoo- 
suc, a  little  north  of  the  west  road  from  the  village,  Rufus 
Allen  built  a  forge  about  1775 ;  but  as  the  dam  flowed  the 
marshes  back,  and  produced  fever  and  ague  among  the 
inhabitants,  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  it.  A  little  south, 
but  still  north  of  the  road,  sometime  afterward,  a  nail  fac- 
tory, chair  factory,  &c.  were  built,  which  are  not  now  in 
operation. 

To  the  south  of  the  west  road,  in  1766  or  7,  where  Luce's 
mill  a  few  years  since  stood,  Ezra  Strong  and  others  erected 
a  grist-mill ;  opposite  to  which,  on  the  same  dam,  a  saw- 
3 


18 

mill  was  built  soon  after,  succeeded  by  an  oil-mill.  The 
Luce  mills  are  gone,  and  two  satinet  mills  erected  on  their 
site,  one  in  1S32  or  3,  and  the  other  in  1843.  These  mills 
belong-  to  L.  Pomeroy  and  Sons. 

The  Pontoosuc  Company  purcliased  the  lands  and  priv- 
ileges about  the  outlet  of  the  North  pond,  in  1824,  to  the 
distance  of  not  far  from  one  hundred  rods  south  from  the 
upper  dam,  one  hundred  and  fifty  perhaps  in  all  from  the 
pond,  and  built  their  factory  the  two  following  years.  The 
principal  building,  of  brick,  is  148  feet  by  48,  four  stories 
with  a  story  in  the  roof;  the  largest  factory  building,  it  is 
understood,  in  the  county.  The  dye  house  and  wool  house, 
also  of  brick,  on  a  line  with  this ;  the  fulling-mill  and  ma- 
chine shop  are  of  corresponding  size.  The  water  is  con- 
veyed in  a  canal,  seventy  rods  from  the  upper  dam,  to  the 
rear  of  the  factory,  where  it  is  thrown  upon  a  wheel  eight- 
een feet  in  diameter,  with  buckets  of  eighteen  feet  length, 
five  feet  below  the  low  water  mark  of  the  pond.  This  turns 
all  the  machinery  of  the  building,  with  which  it  is  well 
furnished.  Here  eighty  hands,  on  an  aveiage,  are  em- 
ployed, and  140,000  pounds  of  wool  annually  made  into 
broadcloths. 

On  the  site  of  the  "  old  forge,"  Jason  Mills,  from  Spring- 
field, established  in  1806  a  small  gun  shop  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  fowling  pieces,  &c.  for  people  in  the  vicinity.  In 
1808,  Lemuel  Pomeroy  purchased  the  place  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  Mills,  and  on  the  same  foundation  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  arms  for  particular  States  ;  where,  since 
1816,  he  has  manufactured  them  on  contract  for  the  U.  S. 
About  2000  stands  were  annually  made  prior  to  1816,  when 
the  amount  became  about  2200,  though  2000  was  the 
number  sold  to  tlie  government.  Thus  it  continued  until 
1839,  since  which  it  is  1500 — a  more  expensive  musket  being 
made.  Connected  with  this  there  is  a  trip  hammer  shop  a 
little  below,  and  a  finishing  shop  in  the  village.  The  princi- 
pal building  of  brick,  50  feet  by  40,  was  erected  in  1823,  and 
the  present  trip  hammer  shop  in  1828.  By  the  site  of  the 
shop  there  has  been  a  saw-mill  near  forty  years.  Thirty  gun- 
smiths are  employed  in  the  business  of  this  establishment. 


19 

Between  the  trip  hammer  shop  and  Bisscll's  factory,  Mr. 
Pomeroy  owns  a  valiial)k!  water  privilege,  which  is  unoc- 
cupied, having  twenty-two  feet  and  ten  inches  falL 

Bissell's  factory,  built  in  1832,  eighty  feet  by  forty,  brick, 
four  stories,  and  of  tlie  same  construction  with  the  Pontoo- 
suc  factory,  has  never  gone  into  operation.  Tlie  fall  of 
water  is  six  feet. 

Goodrich's  factory,  erected  in  1816,  is  a  wooden  building, 
forty  feet  by  thirty.  Lead  pipe,  buttons,  machinery,  &c. 
were  formerly  manufactured  here.  It  is  now  a  plane  and 
planing  factory.     Ten  hands  on  an  average  are  employed. 

All  the  water  privileges  below  belong  to  Lemuel  Pome- 
roy and  Sons.  Their  woollen  factory  to  the  south-west  of 
the  village,  was  built  in  1814,  eighty  feet  by  forty,  three 
stories,  and  their  finishing  shop  opposite,  in  1823,  fifty  feet 
by  thirty,  also  three  stories  :  both  of  brick.  Around  the 
factory  are  the  needed  out-buildings.  In  this  factory  and 
their  satinet  mills,  seventy  hands  are  empl'oyed  and 
150,000  pounds  of  wool  annually  wrought  into  broadcloths 
and  satinets. 

On  the  outlet  of  the  West  pond  there  were  formerly  three 
forges.  The  first  was  built  by  Rufus  Allen,  after  abandon- 
ing the  site  on  the  Pontoosuc.  On  the  same  dam  was  a 
saw-mill.  These  stood  not  far  from  the  chair  factory, 
recently  burnt  down,  a  little  west  of  Goodrich's  factory. 
The  second  forge,  on  the  dam  of  which  was  also  a  saw-mill, 
was  where  Goodrich's  saw-mill  now  stands.  The  third 
was  placed  on  an  intermediate  site,  occupied  by  Marble's 
scythe  factory.  This  factory  is  now  gone.  The  chair  fac- 
tory before  it  was  burnt,  was  converted  into  a  batting  factory, 
employing  about  five  hands  ;  and  on  the  same  site  a  factory 
is  now  building,  for  the  manufacture  of  the  same  article. 

In  addition  to  the  two  branches  of  the  Housatonic,  Shaker 
brook  is  a  valuable  mill  stream.  It  originates  in  Richmond 
pond,  (partly  in  Richmond  and  partly  in  this  town,)  about 
one  mile  long  and  half  a  mile  wide,  and  in  several  brooks 
in  Richmond  and  Hancock,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Sha- 
ker settlement  in  the  latter  town.     The  general  course  of 


20 

this  stream  is  first  north-east  and  then  east,  to  its  union  with 
the  west  Inanch  of  the  Housatonic,  below  the  woollen  fac- 
tory of  L.   Pomeroy  &   Sons.     In    Feb.    1770,  Valentine 
Rathbun,  from  Stonington,  Ct.   purchased  a  small  tract  of 
land  of  Aaron  Baker,  on  square  No.  68,  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  pond  in  a  direct  line,  though  much  more   as  the 
outlet  runs,  together  with  the  right  of  flowing  as  much  more 
land  as  shovdd  be  necessary  to  raise  a  fund  of  water  suflicient 
for  a  fulling  mill  then  built,  and  a  saw  mill  to  he  built.     From 
circumstances,  it  is  probable  the  fulling  mill   had  been  in 
existence  two  or  three  years,  and  it  has  been  kept  up  until 
the  present  time  ;  though  it  is   said   a  saw-mill  was  never 
built  on  the  premises.     Daniel   Stearns,  of  Killingly,  Ct. 
had  possession  of  the  place  from  1804  until  1831.     Having 
made  some  addition  to  the  works,  he  conuncnced  hi-re  about 
1814,  the  manufacture  of  woollen  cloth  upon  a  small  scale  ; 
and  then  manufactured  satinet.     This  establishment  some- 
time afterwards,  was  known  by  the  name  of   Stearns'  Old 
Factory,  to  distinguish  it  from  a  brick  factory  whicli  he  built 
in  1826,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  down  the  stream.     The  fac- 
tory is    now  Barker's  factory,  having  been  purchased   by 
Barker  &  Brothers  in  1831,  and  since  used  by  them  in  the 
manufacture  of  satinet.     Their  average  number  of  hands  is 
sixteen,  and  the  wool  wrought  into  this  fabric  annually,  is 
30,000  pounds.     Having  recently  fitted  up  a  small  mill  con- 
nected with   the   Shaker  grist-mill,   (which  will  be  noticed 
presently,)  they  will  now  increase  their  operations. 

Stearns'  Factory,  (the  new  factory)  is  seventy  feet  by 
forty,  four  stories.  The  average  number  of  hands  is  fifty 
in  the  mill  and  about  it,  and  the  amount  of  wool  manufac- 
tured the  last  year,  into  broadcloth  and  satinet,  was  104,000 
pounds  :  probably  100,000  pounds  will  be  the  average.  The 
factory  property  now  belongs  to  D.  &  H.  Stearns.  The 
little  settlement  about  this  is  called  Stearnsville,  in  which 
a  post  office  was  established  some  ten  years  since. 

The  Shaker  grist-mill,  just  referred  to,  sixty  rods  back, 
was  built  in  1825,  where  a  saw-mill  called  Baker's  mill 
was  erected  as  early  as  1773.  It  has  three  run  of  stones,  and 
is  a  valuable  mill. 


21 

A  mile  and  a  quarter  from  Stearnsville,  eastward,  where 
the  stream  is  increased  by  two  brooks,  one  from  the  west, 
and  one  from  the  south-west,  there  is  a  water  privilege,  and 
a  dam  built,  where  it  is  said  the  first  saw-mill  in  this  town 
stood. 

There  are  some  other  streams,  as  Lord's  brook,  &c.  suffi- 
cient for  saw-millS;  or  sufficient  a  portion  of  the  year. 

Besides  llic  factories  and  mills  on  streams,  there  are  in  the 
village  various  shops  for  the  pursuit  of  different  branches  of 
mechanical  business  ;  as  well  as  merchant  stores  and  offices, 
such  as  are  usually  found  in  large  villages,  to  which  refer- 
ence will  be  had  in  a  sulisecjuent  page.  According  to  the 
State  valuation,  made  in  1831,  there  were  in  the  whole 
town  419  dwelling  houses.  The  year  preceding  the  num- 
ber of  families  was  563,  probably  more  at  that  time.  The 
number  of  house's  and  families  now  is  greatei  ;  much 
greater  in  the  village.  There  were  then  fourteen  sliops 
within,  or  adjoirjing  dwelling  houses,  and  seventy-one  other 
sliops,  and  four  tan-houses. 

The  factories,  mills  and  shops,  give  employment  to  some 
hundred  hands,  and  support  and  comfort  to  many  families, 
while  they  greatly  increase  the  business  and  wealth  of  the 
town. 

This  place  is  probably  destined  to  sustain  a  very  large 
population.  It  has  already  many  more  inhabitants  than 
any  other  equal  portion  of  the  County.  Existing  establish- 
ments lay  abroad  foundation  for  increase,  and  as  just  shown 
several  water  privileges  arc  entirely  unoccupied.  The 
lands  now  devoted  to  tillage,  mowing  and  pasturage,  skillful 
as  some  of  the  farmers  confessedly  are,  might  be  rendered 
still  more  productive.  Besides,  according  to  the  valuation 
above  mentioned,  there  were  in  1831,  3667  acres  of  unim- 
proved land. 

PITTSFIELD    VILLAGE. 

The  village  of  Pittsfield  is  beautifully  situated  in  the 
centre  of  the  town.     Though  it  has  no  limits  assigned  by 


/ 


22 

law,  it  extends,  in  popular  estimation,  along  the  principal 
northern  and  southern  road  through  the  County,  the  dis- 
tance of  about  thiee-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  Pittsfield 
Young  Ladies  Institute,  to  the  house  of  the  late  Major  Henry 
C.  Brown,  and  on  the  great  western  and  eastern  road,  (as 
the  road  was  regarded  before  the  making  of  the  Railroad,) 
-  ^^y^  to  the  East  Branch,  the  bridge  on  the  road  turning  towards 
Washington,  and  Hatter's  Pond,  (so  called,)  on  the  road  to 
Dalton,  with  the  streets  and  lanes  north  and  south,  as 
far  each  way  as  the  points  first  named.  In  the  centre, 
where  these  roads  cross  each  other  at  right  angles,  there 
is  a  public  square ;  part  of  which  was  given  by  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Allen,  and  part  by  the  Hon.  John  Chandler 
Williams.  Though  rather  small  for  the  present,  and 
especially  for  the  probable  future  size  of  the  village,  this 
is  still  a  fine  opening.  Here  is  the  stately  elm,  126  feet 
in  height,  ninety  to  the  limbs,  which  never  fails  to  at- 
tract the  attention  of  travellers ;  around  which,  at  a  suit- 
able distance,  (in  the  form  of  an  ellipse,)  trees  have  been 
planted,  enclosed  with  railing,  which  at  no  distant  day  will 
add  greatly  to  the  delights  of  the  village.  Many  of  the 
buildings  are  on  this  square,  and  on  the  roads  already  men- 
tioned, denominated  from  their  direction,  North  and  South, 
East  and  West  streets.  North  and  South  streets  are  nearly 
level  the  whole  distance  :  the  East  street  descends  towards 
the  east  branch  of  the  Housatonic,  while  the  West  passes  a 
hollow,  along  which  the  railroad  is  built,  in  its  way  to  the 
West  branch.  These'streets  are  seven  rods  wide,  and  lined 
extensively  with  trees.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  some 
streets,  recently  laid  out,  on  which  there  are  now  some 
buildings,  and  which  may  be  thickly  settled  hereafter,  are 
not  of  greater  width.  In  large  villages,  wide  streets,  giving 
ample  space  for  side  walks,  shade  trees,  the  circulation  of 
air,  and  the  passing  and  turning  of  carriages  and  teams,  are 
of  immense  importance,  whether  we  regard  beauty,  health, 
or  convenience. 

Within  the  village  limits,  where,  forty  years  since,  there 
were  only   a  single  church,  fourteen    or   fifteen    dwelling 


23 

houses,  and  perhaps  two  or  three  shops,  there  are  now  four 
churches,  Congregational,  Baptist,  Methodist,  and  Episco- 
pal, the  buildings  pertaining  to  the  Medical  Institution,  the 
Young  Ladies  Institute,  a  Bank  (incorporated  in  1828,  with 
permission  to  hold  stock  to  the  amount  of  ^'100,000,  extended 
in  1836  to  150,000,)  a  Town  House,  the  buildings  pertain- 
ing to  the  Railroad  Depot,  the  passenger  house,  car  house, 
freight  house,  &c.,  about  200  dwelling  houses,  inhabited  by 
about  230  families,  (sixty  more  houses  and  eighty  more 
families  than  there  were  here  ten  years  ago  :)  ten  dry  goods 
stores,  three  merchant  tailors'  shops,  four  groceries,  two 
druggist  stores,  two  shoe  stores,  one  hardware  store,  one 
large  carriage  factory,  three  cabinet  shops,  five  milliners' 
shops,  four  taverns,  seven  or  eight  law  offices,  four  printing 
presses,  two  bookstores,  &c.  &c.  The  Congregational  Church 
is  of  wood,  the  Baptist  and  Methodist  Churches  are  of  brick, 
and  the  Episcopal  Church  of  stone.  Some  of  the  other 
public  buildings,  some  dwelling-houses  and  stores,  are  of 
brick ;  but  most  of  the  buildings  are  of  wood,  and  two 
stories  :  a  few  of  three,  more  of  one. 

While  this  village  is  the  natural  centre  of  business  for  the 
town,  and  in  some  measure  for  several  towns  in  the  vicinity, 
other  things  have  contributed  to  its  growth.  The  literary 
institutions  within  its  limits  have  contributed  much.  The 
great  western  railroad  has  already  increased  its  population 
and  business,  and  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  will  in- 
crease them  hereafter.  Lessening  the  expenses  of  travelling 
and  transportation  for  the  inhabitants,  it  furnishes  facilities 
to  all  who  wish  to  visit  here  for  pleasure,  health  and  litera- 
ture. Possessing  the  relation  this  village  does  to  important 
towns  northward,  it  is  the  most  convenient  place  of  deposit 
for  their  produce,  fabrics  and  merchandize. 

From  the  belfry  of  the  Congregational  Church,  there  is  a 
charming  view  of  the  village  and  town,  and  of  the  surround- 
ing scenery. 

Pittsfield  was  considered  as  easy  of  access  before  the  Rail- 
road was  made.  Much  was  done  to  improve  the  roads  and 
to  accommodate   travellers  from   different  quaiters.     The 


24 

town  however  was  not  easy  of  access  from  the  cast,  and 
hardly  any  town  was  in  Berkshire  county.  The  passage  of 
the  Green  Mountain  Range  was  a  dreaded  part  of  their 
journey  to  all  who  had  to  travel  over  it.  It  was  the 
grand  obstacle  in  all  the  contemplated  routes  for  the  rail- 
road. But  the  obstacle  has  been  surmounted,  and  this  place 
is  brought  within  a  few  hours  travel  of  all  the  places  through 
which  the  road  passes,  or  other  railroads  with  which  this 
is  connected. 

It  may  be  well  to  advert  a  moment  to  the  more  important 
roads  which  pass  this  town,  and  to  the  accommodations  for 
public  travel. 

The  north  and  south  road  from  Lanesboro',  was  opened 
as  far  south  as  Stockbridge,  and  probably  Sheffield,  as  early 
as  1764.  The  eastern  and  western  road  was  opened  as  early 
as  this  through  the  town,  but  how  much  further  it  was  then 
extended,  it  may  be  difficult  now  to  ascertain.  About  forty 
years  since,  a  stage  line  from  Boston  to  Northampton  was 
carried  westward  through  this  town  to  Albany ;  not  long 
after  which  the  route  was  improved  by  turnpikes.  Not  far 
from  (hat  time  a  line  was  established  from  Bennington,  Vt. 
through  this  place,  Lenox,  &c.,  through  the  northwest  part 
of  Connecticut,  and  onward  to  the  city  of  New  York,  which 
was  afterwards  abandoned.  The  present  line  from  this 
place  through  Lenox,  Lee,  &c.  to  Hartford,  Ct.  was  estab- 
lished in  the  summer  of  1824.  It  started  for  a  time  from 
Lebanon  Springs,  N.  Y.  The  Hartford  stage  passes  back 
and  forth  three  times  a  week.  The  line  still  running  from 
Bennington,  through  this  place  to  Lenox,  Stockbridge,  Great 
Barrington,  &c.  to  Hudson,  N.  Y.  was  commenced  April  1, 
1826.  Though  much  less  used  than  before  the  establish- 
ment of  the  rail  road,  it  is  daily  in  the  warm  season  of  the 
year  from  this  place,  while  the  steamboats  ply  the  Hudson 
river,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  year  it  passes  down  one  day  and 
back  the  next.  From  Bennington  to  this  place  it  is  a  half 
line  the  year  round. 

During  the  entire  year  there  is  a  daily  line,  (Sunday  ex- 
cepted,) from  Albany  through   to   Boston,    passing  hence 


25 

hence  one  day  tliion;^h  Hinsdale,  Peru,  &c.  and  the  other 
tliroug-h  Windsor,  Plainfield,  &c. 

The  Pontoosiic  Turnpike  from  ihis  village,  through  parts 
of  Dalton,  Hinsdale,  Washington,  &c.  to  Chester,  near  which 
the  railroad  runs,  is  of  course  given  up  as  a  turnpike,  and 
the  road  is  very  little  used.  It  was  formerly  very  much 
travelled.  The  term  Pontoosuc,  improperly  applied  to  the 
turnpike,  unless  as  being  mainly  owned  by  the  inhabitants 
of  Pontoosuc  or  Pittsfield,  is  more  improperl}'  applied  to  the 
north  branch  of  Westfield  river.  The  south-west  road  from 
the  village,  passing  by  branches  of  the  Housatonic  into 
Stearnsville,  the  Hancock  and  New  Lebanon  Shaker  settle- 
ments, &c.;  into  Richmond,  West  Stockbridge,  New-Ca- 
naan, &c.  to  the  market  towns  on  the  Hudson,  is  important 
since  tlie  railroad  was  built. 

On  these  roads,  by  stages  and  other  conveyances,  and 
especially  by  the  railroad,  the  great  thoroughfare,  this  town 
has  continual  intercourse  with  different  parts  of  the  country. 


PRIMARY  SCHOOLS— HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS— THE  MEDICAL 
COLLEGE. 

Primary  Schools. — In  the  grant  of  this  township,  it  was 
provided  that  a  house-lot  should  be  laid  out  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  settlement,  for  the  support  of  schools, 
which  should  draw  a  sixty-third  part  of  the  township  in 
subsequent  divisions.  In  conformity  to  this  provision,  a 
school  lot,  containing  one  hundred  acres,  was  laid  out  near 
the  centre  of  the  town,  along  the  east  branch  of  the  Housa- 
tonic ;  and  another,  (a  square,)  containing  262|  acres,  esti- 
mated as  belonging  to  the  third  quality  of  lands,  was  after- 
wards laid  out,  being  No.  43,  the  easternmost  lot  but  one  on 
the  northern  line  of  the  town.  The  location  of  the  first  lot 
was  remarkably  favorable,  though  its  future  value  was  not 
at  first  at  all  anticipated.  It  remained  wholly  unproductive 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  then  for  years  afforded  only  a 
trifling  income.  This  lot  at  length  was  sold  in  parts,  and 
4 


26 

the  square  was  disposed  of  also.  Some  of  the  avails  have 
been  lost  by  the  depreciation  of  currency  or  other  means  ; 
thoug-h  the  tov^n  has  now  a  school  fund  derived  from  these 
lands  amounting-  to  $2600,  money  at  interest. 

How  soon  a  school  was  opened,  it  may  be  impracticable 
at  this  time  to  determine.  In  addition  to  the  difficulties 
common  to  first  settlers,  the  people  were  eml^arrasscd  by  the 
dang-ers  growing  out  of  the  second  French  war.  In  May, 
1761,  however,  the  subject  was  agitated  of  building  a  school- 
house  in  each  end  of  the  town.  There  may  have  been  a 
school-house  in  the  centre  earlier,  or  a  school  may  liave 
been  kept  in  a  dwelling-house.  The  next  year  a  vote  was 
passed  to  build  three  school-houses,  called  the  East,  Middle, 
and  West  school-houses ;  and  the  year  after  it  was  voted 
that  the  houses  should  be  built,  one  twenty-two  feet  square, 
and  the  other  two  seventeen,  with  four  windows  of  twelve 
panes  of  glass :  thirty-six  pounds  were  voted  for  building 
them.  In  1768,  forty  pounds  were  appropriated  for  school- 
ing, ten  for  each  of  the  three  schools,  and  ten  to  be  used  at 
the  discretion  of  the  selectmen.  In  1769  mention  is  made 
of  a  North-east  and  South-west  school :  other  schools  were 
probably  soon  established.  In  1773,  one  hundred  pounds 
were  granted  for  schools;  the  school  lot  yielding  six 
pounds  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allen  offered  this  year  to  give  six 
pounds,  for  four  years,  for  the  same  object. 

There  are  now  fifteen  district  schools  in  town,  the  central 
district  having  been  divided  in  1830,  into  three,  called  the 
Centre,  East  Centre  and  West  Centre  districts.  Three 
schools  had  been  taught  for  some  time  in  the  original  dis- 
trict. Repeatedly  $1600  have  been  appropriated  by  the 
town  for  all  the  schools,  including  the  interest  on  the  school 
fund.  This  year  the  town  has  appropriated  $1750  for  the 
common  schools  in  addition  to  the  interest  on  the  school 
fund  and  the  amount  receivable  from  the  State.  They  re- 
ceived from  their  own  fund  the  last  year,  about  $120,  and 
from  the  school  fund  of  the  State,  $126  58.  Should  they 
receive  as  much  this  year,  the  amount  of  money  thus  pro- 
vided for  the  schools  will  be  almost  $2000. 


27 

These  schools  are  taught  by  males  in  the  winter  and  by- 
females  in  the  summer,  with  the  exception  of  that  in  the 
present  Centre  district.  In  that  there  are  two  schools,  a 
common  school,  and  now  a  select  school,  both  taught  in  a 
convenient  brick  building  on  Fenn  street.  Since  1799,  for 
considerable  portions  of  the  time,  the  town  has  patronized 
by  grants  of  money,  a  grammar  school.  One  has  been 
taught  from  time  to  time  in  the  school  house  just  mention- 
ed ;  and  this  year  the  town  has  appropriated  $500  for  the 
support  of  a  free  school  of  a  higher  order.  This  is  done  to 
meet  the  State  law,  requiring  towns  of  500  families  to  sup- 
port such  a  school. 


THE    FEMALE  ACADEMY,  OR  SEMINARY;    NOW  FOLLOWED    BY 
THE  YOUNG  LADIES'  INSTITUTE. 

The  Female  Academy,  usually  styled  the  Female  Semi- 
nary, owed  its  origin  immediately  to  the  successful  efforts 
of  Miss  Nancy  Hinsdale,  in  instituting  a  select  female 
school  here.  This  excited  so  much  interest  that  a  number 
of  gentlemen,  in  1806,  erected  a  building  for  the  use  of  the 
school.  In  February,  1807,  they  procured  an  act  of  incor- 
poration, allowing  them  to  hold  property,  the  annual  in- 
come of  which,  exclusive  of  the  building,  shoidd  not  exceed 
$1200.  Miss  Hinsdale  instructed  it  after  the  incorporation 
until  about  1813,  having  at  first  about  forty  scholars,  and 
towards  the  close,  eighty  or  ninety.  Miss  Eliza  Doane,  of 
Boston,  instructed  it  from  1814  to  1818.  Other  ladies  in- 
structed it  for  shorter  periods.  For  a  number  of  years,  the 
large  room,  (prepared  for  the  purpose,)  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  building  in  South  Street,  previously  occupied  by  the 
second  Congregational  Society,  was  used  as  a  school-room 
for  the  young  ladies. 

With  a  view  to  the  improvement  of  the  institution,  the 
proprietors,  in  1826,  erected  a  large  three-stcjf y  brick  build- 
ing nearly  opposite  the  school-room,  for  jy^^e  accommodation 
ofaprincipal  and  aboardingjestablishment,  wath  convenient 
apartments  also  for  study.  The  design  was  to  enable  the  pu- 
pils from  abroad  to  procure  board  with  the  family  of  the  prin- 


28 

cipaI,andto  enjoycontinuallythebenefitsof  his  care  and  ex- 
ample. After  April,  1827,  the  Seminary  was  placed  under 
the  superintendance  of  a  gentleman,  assisted  by  accomplish- 
ed female  teachers.  The  English  course  of  study  was  in- 
creased :  the  pupils  were  instructed  also  in  Latin,  Greek  and 
French,  and  in  music.  They  were  particularly  instructed 
in  morals  and  religion,  and  the  influences  of  the  Spirit,  in 
repeated  instances,  accompanied  their  labors.  The  pupils, 
collected  from  the  town  and  vicinity,  from  different,  and 
some  from  distant  parts  of  the  country,  varied  in  number, 
from  ninety  to  one  hundred.  The  principals  were  the  Rev. 
Eliakim  Phelps,  Mr.  Jonathan  L.  Hyde,  and  Mr.  Nathaniel 
S.  Dodge.  Mr.  Phelps  instructed  it  from  April,  1827,  un- 
til the  autumn  of  1828.  He  had  previously  been  pastor  for 
a  number  of  years  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Brook- 
field,  and  for  a  time,  principal  of  the  Female  Seminary  in 
that  town.  He  was  afterwards  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  Geneva,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Hyde  instructed  it  from  Nov. 
1828,  to  April,  1834.  Before  coming  to  this  place  he  had 
been  engaged  in  the  instruction  of  youth  in  the  State  of 
Georgia,  and  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Mr.  Dodge,  a  na- 
tive of  Haverhill,  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College,  instruct- 
ed it  after  Mr.  Hyde,  until  sometime  in  1841. 

The  Institution  has  received  a  new  name,  that  of  the 
"  Young  Ladies'  Institute,"  and  is  instructed  in  the  buildings 
formerly  occupied  by  the  Berkshire  Gymnasium,  briefly  de- 
scribed in  the  following  paragraph  : 

In  the  close  of  1826,  Lemuel   Pomeroy,  Esq.,  purchased 

the  charming  site  on  the  east  side  of  North  street,  occupied 

by  the  Government  of  the  United  States  as  a  cantonment,* 

during  the  late   war  with  Great  Britain,  for  the   purpose  of 

establishing  a  gymnasium   or  high  school.     The  year  after, 

he  erected  upon   it  three  large  three  story  brick  buildings; 

one  for  the  principal,  and  one  fol"  the  boarding  house ;  the 

t'**^    other  containi^  a  large  school-room,    recitation  and   lodging 

ti^<^*-  rooms.     There  ^tm.  also  lodging  rooms  for  the  students  in 

<^^    the  other  buildings.     These  st«iid  on  a  line,  facing  the  south, 

"  overlooking  an  extensive  garden  and  pleasure  grounds  of 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  A. 


29 

imcommon  beauty,  ornamented  with  trees  and  walks." 
Tliey  also  command  a  beautiful  view  of  the  village  and 
surroundins;-  hills  and  mountains.  The  gymnasium  Avas 
opened  in  the  latter  part  of  1827.  (though  not  incorporated 
until  1829.)  by  Rev.  Chester  Dewey,  formerly  Professor  of 
Natural  Philosophy,  Mathematics  and  Chemistry,  in  Wil- 
liams College.  It  w^as  conducted  lwfrh«*to~  by  him,  as- 
sisted by  competent  teachers,  on  the  general  plan  of  the 
European  Gymnasia.  The  pupils  were  taught  the  va- 
rious English  branches  of  education,  and  in  ancient  and 
modern  languages.  Much  attention  was  paid  to  moral 
and  religious  instruction,  as  w^ell  as  to  science.  The  Gym- 
nasium ceased  its  operations  in  1836,  on  the  removal  of 
the  Principal  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  whither  he  was  called  to 
preside  over  the  "Collegiate  Institute"  of  that  city. 

In  November,  1841,  the  Young  Ladies'  Institute  was 
opened  by  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Tyler  and  lady,  in  the  build- 
ings occupied  by  the  Gymnasium.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler 
were  previously  principals  of  the  "South  Carolina  Female 
Institute,"  at  Barhamville,  near  Columbia,  S.  C,  and  earli- 
er still,  of  the  Academy  at  Manlius,  N.  Y.,  to  which  place 
Mr.  T.  went  directly  from  the  tutorship  in  Amherst  College, 
of  which  he  is  an  alumnus. 

The  centre  building  of  the  three  erected  for  the  Gymna- 
sium having  been  burned  down,  the  remaining  two,  ample 
in  their  dimensions,  and  uniform  in  appearance,  w^ere  con- 
nected by  a  corridor  two  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  were 
otherwise  admirably  fitted  up  for  the  purposes  of  a  day  and 
boarding  school. 

Associated  w' ith  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler  are  eight  accomplish- 
ed teachers  in  all  the  various  departments  of  a  complete 
female  education.  The  teacher  of  French,  Drawing  and 
Painting,  a  native  of  France,  and  for  some  years  instructor 
in  Dartmouth  College,  and  E.  G.  Tyler,  A.  M.,  the  associ- 
ate principal,  are  permanently  connected  W'ith  the  Institu- 
tion. The  last  named  gentleman,  as  well  as  his  brother, 
is  a  graduate  of  Amherst  College,  and  he  also  received  an 
appointment  to  the  tutorship  there. 

The  desirable  location  of  the  Institute,  its  liberal  arrange- 


30 

ments  and  advantages,  and  the  high  character  of  its  teach- 
ers have  given  to  it  an  extensive  and  enviable,reputation. 
The  present  number  of  its  pupils  is  eighty,  of  whom  more 
than  half  are  from  abroad,  and  with  the  teachers,  are  in- 
mates of  the  family  of  the  Principal.  And  this  complete 
family  organization  is  justly  considered  one  of  the  most  effi- 
cient means  of  exerting  that  healthful,  moral  and  social  in- 
fluence so  essential  in  Institutions  for  the  young. 

The  following  is  the  report  of  the  Examining  Committee 
of  the  Institution  for  1843  : — "  The  subscribers  have  just  com- 
pleted their  duties  as  an  examining  committee  of  the 
Young  Ladies  Institute  in  Pittsfield,  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler,  as  Principals.  The  examination  was 
continued  from  day  to  day,  and  in  its  character  was  a  thor- 
ough, laborious  examination,  rather  than  an  exhibition.  In 
the  result  we  were  most  unaffectedly  gratified  ;  and  we  feel 
warranted  in  saying,  that  no  pains  have  been  spared  by  the 
Principals  or  their  assistant  teachers.  In  the  points  of  order, 
decorum,  appropriate  and  lady-like  behavior,  the  pupils  left 
us  nothing  to  regret.  For  accuracy,  thoroughness  of  schol- 
arship, and  promptness  in  recitation,  few  schools  in  the  land, 
if  any,  could  surpass  it.  The  committee  took  a  share  in  all 
parts  of  the  examination,  and  were  abundantly  satisfied 
that  the  pupils  understood  the  principles  and  foundations  of 
learning.  While  music,  drawing,  painting,  and  what  are 
usually  denominated  the  ornamental  branches,  have  all  the 
aid  and  advantages  which  are  necessary,  or  which  could  be 
desired,  we  were  happy  to  see  that  languages  and  the  math- 
ematics, even  the  severer  parts,  w^ere  the  test  of  scholar- 
ship. In  addition  to  all,  the  school  has,  during  the  past 
winter,  received  such  tokens  of  the  approbation  of  Heaven, 
that  it  would  be  ungrateful  in  us  not  to  acknowledge  it. 

"  We  sum  up  all  w'e  have  to  add  by  saying,  that  daugh- 
ters placed  in  this  school  will  have  all  done  for  them  that 
patience,  perseverance,  conscience  and  skill  can  do,  to  lay 
the  foundations  of  character  that  is  thoroughly  and  sym- 
metrically educated."  J.  Todd, 

D.  S.  Dickinson, 
G.  N.  Briggs. 


31 


THE    DILLINGHAM    SCHOOL — NOW   THE    SELKCT    FAMILY 
BOARDING    SCHOOL    OF    MR.    NASH. 

The  private  school  of  Mr.  Charles  Dillingham,  in  South 
street  (commenced  in  June,  1826,)  had  a  high  reputation. 
The  lads,  limited  in  age  from  six  to  fourteen  years,  and  in 
numher  from  thirty-five  to  forty,  were  hoarded  in  his  family 
and  enjoyed  at  all  times  liis  care  and  comi)any,  whose  large 
house  and  adjoining  buihlings  afforded  them  ample  accom- 
modations. They  were  mostly  from  Philadelphia,  (where 
Mr.  Dillingham  was  several  years  a  teacher  in  the  Asylum 
for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,)  and  from  New  York  and  Albany. 
They  were  instructed  by  him  and  three  or  four  assistants  in 
the  common  and  higher  English  branches,  in  modern  lan- 
guages and  in  Latin  and  Greek. 

Mr.  Dillingham  died  Dec.  15,  1834,  aged  35.*  His  rep- 
utation was  high  as  a  teacher,  and  his  death  greatly 
lamented. 

Mr.  Robert  M.  Chapman,  who  had  before  been  an  assist- 
ant to  Mr.  Dillingham,  a  student  at  the  time  in  the  Episco- 
pal Seminary  in  New- York,  took  the  school  and  continued 
it  on  the  same  premises  until  Oct.  1838.  Mr.  Chapman  is 
now  an  Episcopal  clergyman,  and  minister  of  the  church  in 
Vandeusenville,  in  Great  Barrington. 

Rev.  J.  Adams  Nash,  a  native  of  Conway,  graduate  of 
Amherst  College,  who  taught  a  select  school  five  years  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  and  was  then  settled  over  a  Presby- 
terian church  in  Binghamton,   succeeded    Mr.   Chapman. 

Mr.  Nash  is  the  Principal  and  Lester  M.  Clarke,  A.  M. 
Associate  Principal,  as  the  school  is  now  organized.  There 
is  connected  with  it  also,  a  teacher  of  French  and  a  teacher 
of  Penmanship.  The  design  is  to  make  the  school  "  strictly 
a  Select  Family  Boarding  School;  adapted  to  combine  with 
thorough  instruction,  the  social,  moral  and  religious  influ- 
ences of  a  well  regulated.  Christian  family;  and  to  furnish 
a  resort,  where  parents,  who,  for  any  reason,  cannot  educate 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  B. 


32 

their  sons  personally,  may  place  them  with  safety  and  ad- 
vantage." Such  schools  are  needed  by  some  parents  in 
different  places,  and  by  many  who  dwell  in  cities.  For  the 
object  in  view  the  location  could  hardly  be  better.  Though 
within  the  limits  of  a  large  village,  and  enjoying  its  advan- 
tages, it  is  remarkably  retired.  The  pupils  could  hardly 
enjoy  more  quietness,  and  be  more  secure  from  temptation 
in  the  most  remote  and  scattered  settlement.  The  buildings 
are  well  fitted  for  study,  and  the  grounds  in  the  rear  for 
recreation.  "  The  course  of  instruction  embraces  Greek, 
Latin,  French,  Mathematics,  Vocal  Music  and  Drawing, 
together  with  all  the  branches  of  a  thorough  English  educa- 
tion. This  course  is  varied,  at  the  option  of  the  parent, 
with  a  view  to  prepare  the  pupil  for  college,  or  for  the 
active  pursuits  of  life."  And  lest  the  number  of  scholars 
should  be  too  great  for  their  highest  advantage,  it  is  to  be 
restricted  hereafter  to  twenty.  This  has  been  about  the 
average  number  since  the  connection  of  Mr.  Nash  with  the 
institution,  and  they  are  to  be  between  the  ages  of  seven 
and  sixteen.  They  are  received  into  the  family  of  the 
principal,  and  such  as  are  from  a  distance,  and  desire  it, 
can  remain  in  the  family  during  vacation.  The  terms  are 
two,  twenty-two  weeks  each.     This  is  a  good  school. 


MISS    HINSDALE'S    SELECT    SCHOOL. 

In  May  1843,  Miss  Fanny  Hinsdale,  neice  of  the  celebrated 
instructress,  who  was  so  successful  many  years  since  in  ex- 
citing attention  to  female  education,  opened  a  select  school 
in  the  room  formerly  occupied  by  the  Female  Seminary, 
designed  especially  for  the  instruction  of  Young  Ladies, 
though  boys  under  seven  years  of  age  are  admitted.  She  is 
assisted  by  two  female  teachers,  and  the  pupils  are  instruct- 
ed in  the  English  branches,  in  Algebra,  Latin  and  French. 
There  are  two  terms  in  the  year,  and  the  number  of  scholars 
the  present  term  is  about  forty,  mostly  Young  Ladies. 


33 


BERKSHIRE    MEDICAL    INSTITUTION. 

In  tlie  year  1822,  a  Medical  Scliool  was  established  in 
this  town,  through  the  enterpiize  and  lilxnality  of  u  few  in- 
dividuals of  the  County  of  Berkshire.  That  it  was  judicious, 
and  that  the  public  wants  demanded  such  an  institution,  is 
evident  from  the  number  of  students  who  have  resorted  to  it 
for  a  professional  education. 

An  act  of  incorporation  was  obtained  in  1823,  authorizing 
the  Trustees  to  establish  a  Medical  College,  and  in  connex- 
ion with  Williams  College,  giving  the  power  of  conferring 
medical  degrees,  under  the  same  rules  and  restrictions  as 
are  recognized  by  the  University  of  Cambridge. 

Subsequently,  a  grant  of  5000  dollars  was  made  by  the 
Legislature,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  laudable  objects 
of  the  institution.  Also  authority  was  given  to  establish  a 
Lyceum  of  Natural  History,  an  Eye  Infirmary,  and  a  Gen- 
eral Hospital.  The  success  of  the  enterprise  has  far  exceed- 
ed the  anticipations  even  of  many  of  its  friends.  The  num- 
ber of  students  has  averaged  annually  about  100,  and 
amounts  now  to  about  150. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  in  1837,  the  Berkshire 
Medical  Institution  is  constituted  an  Independent  Medical 
College,  and  degrees  are  conferred  by  the  President,  Trus- 
tees and  Faculty  of  the  Institution.  A  Board  of  Overseers 
is  appointed,  consisting  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Institution,  the 
President  and  Secretaries  of  the  Mass.  Medical  Society,  the 
Senators  of  the  Commonwealth  from  the  four  western  dis- 
tricts, ex  officio,  and  other  distinguished  gentlemen  from 
various  parts  of  the  Commonwealth.  Thus  is  the  Berkshire 
Medical  Institution  emphatically  a  State  Institution. 

Graduates  of  the  Berkshire  Medical  Institution  are  entitled 
to  all  the  privileges  and  immunities  which  have  been  granted 
by  the  Legislature  to  the  medical  graduates  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity ;  and  by  a  vote  of  the  Mass.  Medical  Society  passed 


34 

in  May,  1837,  the  graduates  of  the  Berkshire  Medical  Inst, 
are  entitled  to  admission  as  Fellows  of  that  Society,  without 
fee  or  an  examination.  More  than  600  graduates  of  the 
Berkshire  Medical  Inst,  scattered  over  the  United  States 
are  now  in  the  successful  practice  of  medicine. 

In  this  Institution  particular  attention  is  given  to  the  study 
of  Pathology :  and  to  its  credit,  it  may  be  said,  here  was 
established  the  first  distinct  professorship  of  that  branch  in 
the  United  States. 

A  School  of  Medicine  is  continued  throughout  the  year, 
in  which  medicine,  in  all  its  branches  is  taught.  The  year 
is  divided  into  a  Lecture  Term  and  Reading  Term.  The 
annual  course  of  Lectures  commences  on  the  first  Thursday 
of  August,  and  continues  fourteen  weeks.  The  remainder 
of  the  year  is  occupied  by  the  Reading  Term,  and  consists 
of  daily  recitations  in  all  the  branches  of  medical  science, 
and  medical  dissertations  by  the  students. 

The  Library,  the  Anatomical  Museum,  and  the  Cabinet 
of  Minerals,  are  all  very  respectable — the  buildings  belong- 
ing to  the  Institution  consist  of  a  large  boarding  house,  and 
an  edifice  for  lecture -rooms  and  other  purposes  connected 
with  the  interests  of  the  Institution.  Recently,  an  associa- 
tion of  the  Alumni  of  the  Institution,  and  the  Students  at- 
tending the  lectures,  has  been  formed,  with  the  design  of  in- 
creasing the  advantages  for  the  acquisition  of  medical  sci- 
ence, and  promoting  the  interests  of  the  Institution.  The 
Association  gives  to  each  member  a  diploma,  and  admits  all 
former  graduates  of  the  Institution  as  honorary  members. 
At  the  Commencement  of  the  Institution,  in  connection 
with  the  exercises  of  that  day,  the  Alumni  have  public  ad- 
dressess  on  subjects  connected  with  the  science  of  Medi- 
cine. 

The  Faculty  of  the  Berkshire  Medical  Institution  have 
been  a  woi^king  Faculty^  and  the  reputation  of  the  students 
for  close  application,  diligent  study,  and  correct  behavior, 
is  not  surpassed  by  any  Medical  college  in  the  country. 


35 

A  Clinique  is  held  every  Saturday,  during-  the  Lecture 
Term,  when  operations  in  Surgery  are  performed,  and 
medical  advice  is  given  by  the  Professors,  gratuitously. 

The  first  President  was  Josiah  Goodhue,  M.  D.,  of  Hadley, 
a  distinguished  physician,  who  deceased  in  1829.  The  next 
President  was  Zadoc  Howe,  M.  D.,  of  Billerica,  an  active 
member  of  the  profession,  who  resigned  his  place  in  1836. 
In  1837,  on  the  change  of  the  charter  so  as  to  make  the 
Institution  an  independent  Medical  School,  Hon.  H.  H. 
Childs,  M.  D.,  one  of  its  most  active  founders  and  support- 
ers, was  chosen  its  President,  thus  adding  to  the  duties  of 
his  Professorship  the  responsibilities  of  its  presiding  officer. 
Since  the  founding  of  the  Institution,  Dr.  Childs  has  been 
a  devoted  and  successful  professor,  annually  presenting  his 
couise  of  Theory  and  Practice.  With  him  there  is  now 
associated  only  one  of  the  professors  at  first  appointed,  the 
professor  of  Chemistry  &c.,  the  other  professorships  having^ 
several  times  changed  their  incumbents.  At  the  present 
time  the  Institution  is  supplied  with  an  active  and  efficient 
Faculty. 

Henry  H.  Childs,  President  of  the  Corporation. 
Alonzo  Clark,  Dean  or  Secretary  of  the  Faculty. 

Faculty. — H.  H.  Childs,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Theory  and 
Practice  and  of  Obstetrics. 

C.  Dewey,  M.  D.  and  D.  D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry, 
Botany,  and  Natural  Philosophy. 

Hon.  H.  Hubbard,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Medical  Jurispru- 
dence. 

Oilman  Kimball,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Principles  and  Prac- 
tice of  Surgery. 

B.  R.  Palmer,  M.  D.,  Prof,  of  Anatomy  and  Physiology. 

Alonzo  Clark,  M.  D.,  Prof,  of  Pathology  and  Materia 
Medica. 

Timothy  Childs,  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy. 

The  influence  of  all  the  public  schools  and  literary  insti- 
tutions here  is  very  great.     They  presuppose  a  high  regard 


36 

for  literature  and  the  welfare  of  the  rising-  generation  among- 
the  inhabitants.  In  addition  to  the  libraries  of  professors 
and  principals,  opened  for  the  benefit  of  the  members  of 
these  schools  and  institutions,  and  the  libraries  of  private 
g"entlemen,  there  are  some  public  libraries.  There  was  for- 
merly one  in  the  east  part  of  the  town  connected  with  Dal- 
ton,  called  "Union  Library,"  established  in  1796.  This 
was  dissolved  in  1808.  There  is  now  one  in  the  west  part 
of  the  town  called  the  "Social  Library"  founded  in  1825, 
and  containing  175  volumes.  There  is  also  in  the  village, 
"The  Young-  Men's  Library,"  commenced  in  1832,  contain- 
ing- about  400  volumes.*  * 


NEWSPAPERS. 

A  printing  press  was  set  up  here  as  early  as  1787.  In 
May  following,  a  weekly  paper  was  issued,  styled  the  "Berk- 
shire Chronicle."  Precisely  how  long  this  was  published  I 
am  unable  to  state.  Another  paper  was  set  up  afterwards, 
but  discontinued  some  time  before  the  establishment  of  the 
"  Pittsfield  Sun,"  by  the  Hon.  Phinchas  Allen,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1800.  Some  time  after  this  the  Berkshire  Reporter  was 
published  here  for  several  years.  The  Berkshire  American 
was  commenced  in  1826,  and  in  Feb.  1827,  removed  to 
North  Adams.  The  last  number  of  this  paper  was  issued 
about  June  1834.  The  Argus  succeeded  the  American  at 
Pittsfield,  was  edited  by  Henry  K.  Strong  until  March,  1829, 
and  then  by  Samuel  W.  Bush  until  Sept.  I,  l83l,  when  it 
was  united  with  the  Berkshire  Journal,  at  Lenox.  This 
paper  was  afterwards  called  the  Journal  and  Argus  until 
Sept.  4,  1834,  when  it  assumed  the  title  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Eagle. 

Four  weekly  papers  are  now  published  in  Pittsfield  ;  the 
"Pitsfield  Sun,"  already  mentioned,  edited  by  the  Hon. 
Phinehas  Allen  and  son;  the  "Berkshire  County  Whig," 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  C. 


37 

begun  Marcli  11,  1841,  Henry  Hubbard,  Esq.  editor;  ''Tlie 
Berkshire  Eagle,"  moved  herefrom  Lenox  in  1842,  the  late 
Massachusetts  Eagle,  present  editor,  Charles  Montague,  and 
the  "  New  England  Cataract  and  Berkshire  and  Franklin 
Washingtonian,"  editor,  J.  D.  Bonner,  begun  in  June  last. 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS CONGREGATIONALISTS — BAPTISTS 

METHODISTS EPISCOPALIANS. 

The  earliest  settlers  of  this  town  were  very  generally",  if 
not  universally,  Congregationalists.  B3ahe  act  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court,  granting  the  township,  the  inhabitants  were  re- 
quired to  lay  out  a  house-lot  for  the  support  of  the  ministry, 
"which  should  draw  a  sixty-third  part  of  said  town  in  all 
future  divisions,"  and  "  to  build  and  finish  a  suitable  and 
convenient  house  for  the  public  worship  of  God,  and  settle  a 
learned  orthodox  minister,"  within  a  given  time. 

In  conformity  with  this  act  a  house-lot  was  laid  out,  be- 
ing No.  13,  and  lying  to  the  north-west  of  the  public  square; 
and  a  part  of  square  No.  7,  (113  acres)  to  the  north-west  of 
this,  considered  as  being  of  the  first  quality  of  lands,  and  a 
part  of  square  No.  44,  (112  acres)  at  the  north-east  corner 
of  the  town,  being  of  the  third  quality.  These  lands  were 
for  some  time  wholly  unproductive.  In  1767  an  effort  was 
made  to  clear  a  part  of  the  house-lot.  In  the  early  part  of 
1774,  a  petition  was  sent  to  the  Legislature  for  liberty  to 
lease  out  the  ministry  lands ^  which  seems  to  have  been 
granted :  for  in  July  of  that  year  it  was  voted  "  that  the 
town  do  consent  to  alienate  and  convey  the  ministry  lot.  No. 
13,  agreeably  to  the  statute  of  the  Province  for  that  purpose." 
About  the  same  time  the  lot  was  sold  to  Dr.  Timothy  Childs 
and  Col.  John  Brown,  for  300Z.  The  other  lots  were  sub- 
sequently sold,  A  portion  of  the  avails  of  these  lands  has 
been  lost,  or  converted  to  some  other  purpose  than  the  sup- 
port of  the  ministry.  From  these  avails  the  Congregation- 
alists have  now  only  $700,  They  have,  however,  a  legacy 
from  Woodbridge  Little,  Esq.  who  died  in  June,  1813,  of 
$500,  and  another  from  John  R,  Crocker,  who  died  in  Octo- 


38 

ber,  1826,  of  |476,94.  Deacon  Daniel  Ciofoot,  who  died 
in  August,  1832,  willed  to  the  society  $500,  to  go  into  their 
hands  upon  the  decease  of  his  widow.  When  this  sum 
shall  be  received,  the  Congregationalists  will  have  a  fund 
of  $2176  94.     The  society  have  also  a  Parsonage. 

With  respect  to  the  building  of  a  house  for  the  public  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  the  settlement  of  a  minister,  the  proprie- 
tors at  their  first  meeting,  after  they  were  incorporated, 
Sept.  12,  1753,  voted  toraise40Z.  lawful  money  for  building 
a  meeting-house,  and  assessed  3s.  on  each  settling  lot  for 
the  support  of  preaching.  In  May  following,  it  was  voted 
"  that  the  meeting-house  should  be  thiry-five  feet  by  thir- 
ty." In  August  the  town  resolved  to  go  on  and  build  the 
meeting-house  without  delay  ;  they  also  voted  "  to  hire  Mr. 
Smith,"  who  had  probably  preached  to  them  for  a  time 
*'  as  a  probationer."  This  year  the  assessment  was  doubled 
for  the  support  of  preaching ;  and  the  prospect  was  that 
the  people  would  soon  have  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel 
statedly  ministered  to  them.  But  the  occurrence  of  the 
second  French  War  dissipated  this  prospect  for  several 
years. 

The  Mr.  Smith  employed  in  1754  was  the  Rev.  Cotton 
Mather  Smith,  who  settled  in  1775  in  Sharon,  Ct.,  father 
of  the  Hon.  John  Cotton  Smith,  formerly  Governor  of  that 
state,  and  late  President  of  the  American  Bible  Society. 
He  was  a  native  of  Suffield,  Ct.  and  graduate  of  Yale  Col- 
lege. He  studied  theology  in  Hatfield,  and  for  some  time  in 
1752  or  3  instructed  an  Indian  school  in  Stockbridge.  As 
a  clergyman  he  ranked  high  among  his  brethren. 

In  October,  1758,  the  people  voted  to  hire  preaching,  and 
in  the  latter  part  of  1759  a  Mr.  Clark  was  procured  to  preach 
to  them  for  a  season.  In  August,  1760,  Mr.  Ebenezer 
Guernsey,  who  had  preached  to  them  four  months,  was  in- 
vited to  settle  with  them  conditionally.  This  call  he  nega- 
tived, but  supplied  them  further  on  probation,  and  was  in- 
vited a  second  time  to  settle  with  them.  This  call  he  also 
declined  in  January,  1761.  Mr.  Guernsey  returned  to 
Durham,  his  native  town,  and  finally  gave  up  the  ministry. 


39 

In  August  of  this  year  the  inhabitants  invited  Mr.  Enocli 
Huntington,  of  Windham,  Ct.,  to  become  their  minister. 
Mr.  H.  declined  their  invitation  because  he  felt  it  to  be  his 
duty  to  settle  at  Middlelown,  where  he  had  a  call  at  the 
same  time,  though  he  expressed  to  the  people  his  convic- 
tion that  his  temporal  prospects  would  be  best  at  Pittsfield. 
He  was  much  distinguished  for  classical  learning.  Aljroth- 
er  of  his,  Dr.  Joseph  Huntington,  was  minister  in  Coventry, 
Ct. ;  another  l^rother,  Hon,  Samuel  Himtington,  was  a  num- 
ber of  years  Governor  of  that  state. 

In  1762  an  ineffectual  effort  was  made  to  settle  Mr.  Amos 
Thompson,  and  in  1763  to  settle  the  Rev.  Daniel  Collins, 
the  late  well-known  and  venerable  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Lanesborough. 

In  the  course  of  1763  Mr.  Thomas  Allen,  the  first  pastor 
of  the  church  came  to  this  town.  On  the  7th  of  February, 
1764,  the  church  was  organized  by  Dr.  Hopkins,  then  of 
Great  Barrington,  Dr.  West,  of  Stockbridge,  and  Mr.  Eben- 
ezer  Martin,  of  Becket,  "  on  the  basis  of  the  present  confes- 
sion and  covenant ;  which  were  subscribed"  by  eight  male 
members,  viz.  :  Stephen  Crofoot,  Ephraim  Stiles,  Daniel 
Hubbard  J  Aaron  Baker,  Jacob  Ensign,  and  William,  Lem- 
uel and  Elnathan  Phelps  ;  after  which  Dr.  Hopkins  preach- 
ed from  2  Cor.  viii.  5.  These  members  had  probably  been 
members  before  of  other  churches.  On  the  5th  of  March, 
the  church  in  the  first  place,  and  then  the  people  at  large, 
unanimously  invited  Mr.  Allen  to  become  their  pastor.  He 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  was  ordained  on  the  18th  of 
April,  the  day  after  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Collins.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Hooker,  of  Northampton,  his  theological  instruct- 
or, preached  on  the  occasion.  During  this  year,  thirty  one 
members  were  added  to  the  church,  a  large  part  of  them 
probably  by  letter. 

While  these  measures  were  prosecuted  for  the  settlement 
of  a  minister,  the  erection  of  a  meeting-house  was  not  for- 
gotten, though  the  work  was  not  prosecuted  apparently  with 
equal  zeal.  In  February,  1760,  it  was  voted  to  raise  money 
to  build  a  meeting-house,  to  be  paid  one  half  that  year,  and 


40 

one  half  the  year  following-,  forty-five  feet  by  thirty-five  ; 
and  in  December,  that  on  condition  the  non-resident  propri- 
etors would  pay  80Z,  and  take  four  pews,  to  build  it  fifty-five 
feet  by  forty-five.  The  latter  are  supposed  to  have  been 
the  dimentions  of  the  house-  It  seems  to  have  been  raised 
(and  it  may  have  been  occupied,)  in  1761,  thoug-h  it  was 
not  reg-arded  as  finished  until  the  close  of  1770.  There  are 
many  votes  on  the  town  records  respecting  this  building.  It 
required  an  expense  which  the  inhabitants  were  not  then 
well  able  to  bear.  It  stood  a  little  south  of  the  present  Con- 
gregational church,  which  was  built  in  1792,  eighty  feet  by 
fifty,  with  a  porch. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Allen,  the  first  minister  of  Pittsfield, 
was  a  native  of  Northampton,  where  his  ancestors  had  re- 
sided from  the  first  settlement  of  that  town,  and  had  held 
a  respectable  rank  in  society  and  in  the  church.  He  was 
born  Jan.  7,  1743.  A  brother  of  his,  the  Rev.  Moses  Allen, 
was  settled  in  the  ministry  at  Midway,  in  the  state  of  Geor- 
gia :  another,  Major  Solomon  Allen,  after  having  served 
his  country  faithfully  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  taken 
a  conspicuous  part  in  quelling  the  insurrection  of  Shays, 
entered  the  ministry  late  in  life,  and  labored  in  several 
towns  in  the  western  district  of  New  York.  Through  the 
bequest  of  a  great  uncle,  Mr.  Allen  was  educated  at  Har- 
vard College,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1762,  with  a  high 
reputation  as  a  classical  scholar.  His  ordination  as  Pastor 
of  the  Congregational  church  in  this  town,  in  1764,  has 
been  mentioned.  At  this  time,  the  town  was  nearly  a  wil- 
derness, there  being  in  it  but  half  a  dozen  houses  not  made 
with  logs.  His  religious  doctrines  were  Calvinistic,  and  he 
believed  Congregationalism  in  the  church  to  be  most  con- 
sistent with  Republican  institutions.  He  labored  with  zeal 
among  his  people.  "  Besides  his  stated  labors  on  the  Sab- 
bath, he  frequently  delivered  lectures,  and  in  the  course  of 
his  ministry  preached  six  or  seven  hundred  funeral  sermons. 
In  the  early  part  of  his  ministry  he  also  occasionall)''  preach- 
ed in  the  neighboring  towns,  not  then  supplied  with  settled 
ministers."  Warm  in  his  temperament  and  inflexible  in 
purpose,  he  engaged  earnestly  in  support  of  the  rights  of 


41 

his  country  against  the  aggressions  of  Great  Britain,  both 
before  the  commencement  of  the  war  and  during  the  long 
continued  struggle  for  independence.  On  the  30th  of  June, 
1774,  he  was*  placed  at  the  head  of  a  standing  committee 
of  safety  and  correspondence  for  the  town,  to  correspond 
with  the  committees  of  this  and  other  provinces.  His  let- 
ters at  this  time  were  characteristic,  exhibiting  great  vigilance 
and  zeal  in  the  Cciuse  of  libert}',*  and  at  the  same  time  a 
high  trust  in  (he  God  of  battles.  In  1776  he  acted  for  a 
short  period  as  Chaplain  to  the  American  Army  under 
Washington,  at  White  Plains,  and  in  June  and  July,  1777, 
he  olhciatod  in  the  same  capacity  at  Ticonderoga.  The 
month  following  he  went  with  the  volunteer  company  of 
militia,  many  of  them  his  own  parishioners,  from  Pittsfield 
to  meet  Burgoyne's  troops  at  Bennington,  and  took  an  ac- 
tive part  in  the  exertions  and  trinmplis  of  the  memorable 
battle  that  ensued.  Reporting  himself  to  Gen.  Stark,  he 
was  forthwith  appointed  a  Chaplain,  and  there  are  those 
who  yet  express  their  belief  in  the  efficacy  of  a  prayer  be- 
fore the  army  on  the  morning  of  the  action,  which  ascended 
from  the  fervent  lips  of  Mr.  Allen.  ''  Among  the  reinforce- 
ments from  Berkshire  County,"  says  Edward  Everett,  in 
his  life  of  Stark,  "  came  a  clergyman,  with  a  portion  of  his 
flock,  resolved  to  make  bare  the  arm  of  ilesh  against  the 
enemies  of  the  country.  Before  daylight  on  the  morning 
of  the  16th,  he  addressed  the  commander  as  follows  :  '  We, 
the  people  of  Berkshhe,  have  been  frequently  called  upon 
to  fight,  but  have  never  been  led  against  the  enemy.  We 
have  now  resolved,  if  you  will  not  let  us  fight,  never  to  turn 
out  again.'  General  Stark  asked  him  '  if  he  wished  to 
march  then  when  it  was  dark  and  rainy  V  '  No,'  was  the 
answer.  '  Then'  continued  Stark,  '  if  the  Lord  should  once 
more  give  us  sunshine,  and  I  do  not  give  you  fighting 
enough,  I  will  never  ask  you  to  come  again."  The  weath- 
er cleared  up  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  the  men  of  Berk- 
shire followed  their  spiritual  guide  into  action."! 

*See  Appendix.  Note  D. 

fEveretf  s  Life  of  Gen.  Stark— Spark's  Library  of  Am.  Biog.  p.  97. 

6 


42 

Before  the  attack  was  commenced,  being  posted  opposite 
to  that  wing-  of  the  enemy  which  waspiincipally  composed 
of  refugees,  who  had  joined  the  invaders,  Mr.  Allen  advan- 
ced in  front  of  our  militia,  and  in  a  voice  distintly  heard  by 
them,  exhorted  the  enemy  to  lay  down  their  arms,  assuring 
them  of  good  quarters,  and  warning  them  of  the  consequen- 
ces of  refusal.  Having  performed  what  he  considered  a  re- 
ligious duty,  and  being  fired  upon,  he  resumed  his  place  in 
the  ranks,  and  when  the  signal  was  given,  was  among  the 
foremost  in  attacking  the  enemy. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  Mr.  Allen  was  recognized  by 
some  of  these  refugees  ;  for  there  were  a  very  few  men  of 
this  description  from  Pittsfield  and  other  parts  of  Berkshire, 
and  that  they  said,  "  there  is  Parson  Allen,  let  us  pop 
him  !"  There  is  also  a  tradition,  that  when  he  was  fired 
upon,  and  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  were  whistling  about 
him,  he  jumped  down  from  the  rock  or  stump  on  which  he 
had  stood,  and  cried  out,  "  Now,  boys,  let  us  give  it  to  them  ;" 
and  immediately  said  to  his  brother  Joseph  by  his  side  : 
"You  load,  and  I  will  fire!"  After  the  battle  was  over,  he 
found  a  Hessian  surgeon's  horse,  loaded  with  panniers  of  bot- 
tles of  wine.  The  wine  he  administered  to  the  wounded 
and  weary ;  but  two  large  square  bottles  he  carried  home 
with  him  as  trophies  of  his  campaign  of  three  or  four  days. 
Being  asked  whether  he  killed  a  man,  he  replied,  "  he  did 
not  know ;  but  that  observing  a  flash  often  repeated  in  a 
bush  near  b}^,  which  seemed  to  be  succeeded  each  time  by 
a  fall  of  some  one  of  our  men,  he  levelled  his  musket,  and 
firing  in  that  direction,  he  put  out  that  tlash  !" 

During  Shays'  rebellion,  Mr.  Allen  supported  the  author- 
ity of  the  government  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  threatened 
by  the  insurgents.  But  in  his  intrepidity  he  was  not  to  be 
shaken  from  iris  purpose  or  duty,  and  he  held  himself  in 
readiness,  sleeping  with  arms  in  his  bedroom,  to  defend 
himself  against  the  violence  of  lawless  men. 

In  1779,  he  journeyed  on  horseback  to  Savannah  in  Geor- 
gia, to  rescue  a  widowed  sister  and  her  child  from  peril,  and 
made  a  voyage  to  London  in  1799,  to  bring  home  an  orphan 


43 

grandchild.  While  in  London,  seeing  the  King  pass  from 
St.  James  to  the  Parliament  House,  in  a  coach  drawn  by  six 
cream  colored  horses,  he  recorded  the  following  rellecfion, 
among  others,  in  his  journal : — ''  This  is  he,  who  desolated 
my  country ;  who  ravag(>d  the  American  coasts  ;  annihila- 
ted our  trade  ;  burned  our  towns  ;  plundered  our  cities  ;  sent 
forth  his  Indian  allies  to  scalp  our  wives  and , children ; 
starved  our  youth  in  his  prison  ships ;  and  caused  the  ex- 
penditure of  a  hundred  millions  of  money,  and  a  hundred 
thousand  of  precious  lives.  Instead  of  being  the  father  of 
his  people,  he  has  been  their  destroyer.  May  God  forgive 
him  so  great  guilt !" 

The  union  early  formed  between  Mr.  Allen  and  bis  peo- 
ple was  cemented  l)y  mutual  kindnesses  and  continued  with- 
out any  material  interruption  about  40  years.  Some  of  the 
early  settlers  were  from  his  native  town  and  a  large  portion 
of  them  were  about  his  age.  But  in  1808,  "in  consequence 
of  a  verv  unhappy  difficulty,  originating  in  the  political  ar- 
dor of  that  period,  and  over  which  all  parties  now  wash  to 
cast  the  veil  of  oblivion,  a  considerable  number  of  the  church 
and  parish  withdrew  from  his  ministry,  and  w^ere  incorpo- 
rated soon  after,  as  a  separate  parish."  They  erected  the 
house  in  South  street  as  their  place  of  worship,  the  interior 
of  which  has  been  altered,  and  which  is  now  occupied,  one 
part  as  a  school-room,  and  the  other  as  a  lecture  room.  "On 
the  22d  of  August,  1809,  a  new  church  was  organized  upon 
the  doctrinal  basis  of  that  from  which  they  had  withdrawn, 
and  on  the  26th  of  October"  following,  Mr.  Thomas  Pnn- 
derson,  a  native  of  New  Haven,  and  graduate  of  Yale  Col- 
lege, was  ordained  their  Pastor. 

Notwithstanding  this  separation,  Mr.  Allen  continued  in 
the  ministry  with  the  original  church  until  his  death,  which 
took  place,  after  a  short  but  severe  illness,  on  the  Lord's 
day,  Feb.  11,  1810,  at  the  age  of  67,  in  the  hope  of  a  bless- 
ed immortality.  His  worthy  consort,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Allen, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Lee,  first  minister  of  Salis- 
bury, Ct.,  survived  him  until  March  31, 1830,  when  she  died 
at  the  age  of  82. 


44 

They  had  12  children,  nine  sons  and  three  daughters,  all 
of  whom,  with  (he  exception  of  two  sons,  lived  to  adult  years, 
thoug-li  they  are  all  now  in  their  graves,  excepting-  the  Hon. 
Jonathan  Allen,  of  this  town,  and  the  Rev.  William  Allen, 
D.  D.,  who  was  ordained  the  successor  of  his  father  on  the 
10th  of  October  after  his  father's  death. 

One  of  their  sons  was  a  captain  in  service,  dining  the  war 
of  1812  ;  another  officiated  as  surgeon  in  the  same  war,  both 
on  the  New  York  frontier;  another  acted  as  assistant  Quar- 
termaster Genera],  and  one  of  his  danghters,  a  beantiful 
and  fascinating  woman,  who  married  Gen.  Ripley,  was  at 
the  bedside  of  her  husband,  when  he  was  suffering  from  the 
ultimately  fatal  wound  he  received  at  the  sortie  of  Fort  Erie. 
Three  of  their  sons  received  collegiate  education,  one  of 
whom,  Solomon  Metcalf  Allen,  Professor  in  Middleljury 
College,  will  be  noticed  hereafter.  Their  grandchildren 
now  living,  number  twenty,  and  their  great-grandchildren 
ten. 

In  addition  to  several  sermons  which  have  been  publish- 
ed, Mr.  Allen  left  extant  at  his  death  twenty-seven  hundred 
sermons  of  his  own  production,  written  in  short  hand,  which 
no  one  has  been  able  to  decipher. 

The  two  churches  placed  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Punder- 
son  and  Mr.  William  Allen,  remained  separate  and  distinct 
about  eight  years.  "  But  as  the  spirit  in  which  the  separa- 
tion commenced  gradually  subsided  on  both  sides,  the 
inconveniences  and  burdens  of  so  unnatural  a  state  of  things 
were  more  and  more  felt,  and  in  tlie  latter  part  of  1816, 
many  began  to  think  and  talk  seriously  of  a  re-union.  It 
was  soon  found  that  a  majority  of  both  societies  were  deci- 
dedly in  favor  of  the  measure,  and  as  the  pastors  coincided 
in  the  general  opinion,  that  an  union  would  promote  the 
best  interests  of  the  town,  though  it  must  separate  them 
from  their  beloved  charges,  it  was  not  difficult  to  agree  upon 
the  conditions  on  which  it  should  take  place.  Accordingly, 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  churches  and  congregations  again 
to  become  one,  Mr.  Allen  was  disnnssed  Feb.  5,  1817,  and 


45 

Mr.  Punderson  on  the  5tli  of  May  following.  The  parishes 
were  re-uniled  by  vn  act  of  the  General  Courl,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  same  year,  and  the  Churches  by  a  mutual  Coun- 
cil, on  the  7th  of  July.  Both  the  pastors  were  highly  es- 
teemed, and  much  beloved  by  their  people,  who  would 
gladly  have  retained  tliem,  had  it  been  practicable  under 
the  new  organization."  Dr.  Allen  hassincebeen  President 
of  Bowdoin  College,  in  the  State  of  Maine,  and  Mr.  Pundei- 
son  is  Pastor  of  the  Cliurch  in  Huntington,  Ct. 

After  the  union  of  the  churches,  Rev.  Heman  Humphrey, 
(now  Dr.  Humphrey)  a  native  of  Burlington,  Ct.  and 
graduate  of  Yale  College,  who  had  been  pastor  about  ten 
years  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Fairfield,  in  that 
State,  was  invited  to  take  the  oversight  of  them  in  the 
Lord.  He  was  in.^talled  Nov.  27th,  1817,  and  remained 
with  them  until  Sept.  23,  1823,  when  he  was  dismissed, 
tliat  he  might  enter  upon  the  duties  of  the  Presidency  of 
Amherst  College,  Avhere  he  was  inaugurated  on  the  15th  of 
October,  in  the  same  year;  and  wliere  he  \vas  installed 
Pastor  of  the  College  Church,  Feb.  28,  1827. 

Dr.  Humphrey  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Rufus  William 
Bailey,  a  native  of  North  Yarmouth,  Me.,  graduate  and  tutor 
of  Dartmouth  College,  April  15, 1824.  Previously  to  coming 
to  this  place,  Mr.  Bailey  was  pastor  for  a  time  of  a  church 
in  Norwich,  Vt.,  and  a  professor  in  the  Military  Academy 
then  existing  in  that  town.  He  was  dismissed  on  account 
of  ill  health,  the  27th  of  Sept.  1827.  After  his  dismission,  he 
removed  to  South  Carolina,  and  became  principal  of  an 
academy  at  Rice  Creek,  near  Columbia.  He  now  preaches 
in  that  State. 

Rev.  Henry  Philip  Tappan  became  pastor  of  this  church, 
Sept.  17,  1828,  and  was  dismissed  also  on  account  of  ill 
healtii,  Nov,  1,  1831.  He  has  since  been  professor,  for  a 
time,  of  intellectual  and  moral  philosophy  and  belles-lettres 
in  the  University  of  the  city  of  New  York ;  and  is  now  the 
principal  of  a  large  boarding  and  day  school  for  yoimg 
ladies,  in  the  same  city.  Mr.  Tappan  is  a  native  of  Pough- 
keepsie,  N.  Y.  and  a  graduate  of  Union  College. 


46 

Rev.  John  William  Yeomans,  a  native  of  Hinsdale,  grad- 
uate and  tutor  of  Williams  College,  who  had  been  pastor  of 
the  church  in  North  Adams,  from  Nov.  12,  1828,  to  Feb.  16, 
1832,  was  installed  here  March  7,  1832,  and  dismissed  Sept. 
9,  1834.  On  the  7th  of  Oct.  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  cliurch  in  the  city  of  Trenton,  and  is  now 
president  of  Lafayette  College,  at  Easton,  Penn. 

Rev.  Horatio  N.  Brinsmade,  D.D.  a  native  of  New-Hart- 
ford, graduate  of  Yale  in  1822,  who  had  been  a  teacher  in  the 
Asylum  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  in  Hartford,  and  then  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Collinsville,  in  the  same  State,  was  settled 
as  pastor  of  this  church,  Feb.  11,  1835,  and  was  dismissed 
in  the  autumn  of  1841,  having  received  a  call  from  the  3d 
Presbyterian  church  in  Newark,  N.  J.  of  which  he  is  now 
pastor. 

The  Rev.  John  Todd,  a  classmate  of  Mr.  Brinsmade,  was 
installed  his  successor  Feb.  16,  1842.  He  had  been  pastor 
some  years  of  Union  Church  in  Groton,  Mass.,  of  the  Ed- 
wards Church  in  Northampton,  and  of  a  church  in  the  city 
of  Philadelphia. 

The  people  of  this  town  have  been  favored  with  several 
seasons  of  special  divine  influence.  In  1820,  particularly, 
and  more  extensively  in  1821,  (when  Dr.  Humphrey  was 
assisted  by  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton)a  revival  spread  amongst 
the  inhabitants.  This  was  a  precious  revival,  and  greatly 
promoted  the  religious  character  of  the  town,  the  influence 
of  which  is  still  felt.  There  was  another  revival  during  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Bailey,  in  1827,  the  more  remarkable,  as  he 
was  then  confined  by  sickness.  Mr.  Phelps,  however,  at 
that  time  principal  of  the  Female  Seminary,  labored  faith- 
fully among  the  people.  Seasons  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  have  occurred  under  the  ministry  of 
the  succeeding  pastors,  and  some  of  them  of  great  interest. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  number  of  persons 
admitted  to  the  church  by  each,  (from  the  world  and  by 
letter;)  the  number  of  baptisms  administered,  and  marriages 
solemnized  by  most  of  them. 


47 


Admissions. 

Baptisms. 

Marriarfes. 

T.  Allen, 

341 

710 

406 

W.   Allen, 

57 

70 

35 

T.  PLindeison, 

56 

97 

28 

H.  Humphrey, 

214 

180 

49 

R.  W.  Bailey, 

99 

82 

24 

H.  P.  Tappmi, 

88 

55 

19 

J.  W.  Yeomans, 

141 

— 

— 

H.  N.  Briiismade, 

247 

40 

112 

J.  Todd, 

122 

8 

86 

If  to  the  foregoing-  admissions  we  add  tlie  eight  admitted 
to  the  church  at  its  formation,  we  have  a  total  of  professors 
among  the  Congregationalists  from  the  beginning  of  1373. 
There  may  have  been  some  admissions  to  the  church  in  the 
vacancies  between  the  settlement  of  the  pastors,  and  if  so, 
the  total  must  be  greater.     The  church  is  now  very  large. 

Baptists. — As  early  as  1768,  Mr.  Valentine  Rathbun,  a 
Baptist  in  sentiment,  came  to  this  town  from  Stonington, 
Ct.  Mention  has  been  made  of  him  in  a  previous  pnge  as 
having  erected  a  clothier's  works  on  the  outlet  of  Rich- 
mond pond.  He  set  up  meetings  in  his  own  house,  and 
soon  gained  over  some  of  his  neighbors,  by  the  name 
of  Doming,  Kingsley,  Narramore,  Phelps,  &c.  to  his  own 
views  respecting  the  mode  and  subjects  of  baptism.  In 
1772  a  small  Baptist  church  was  formed  among  them,  which 
may  have  received  some  addition  afterwards.  But  in  the 
early  part  of  1780,  when  the  attention  of  numbers  in  Han- 
cock and  New  Lebanon  was  turned  to  the  principles  and 
worship  of  the  Shakers,  Elder  Rathbun,  and  some  of  his 
followers,  united  themselves  with  that  class  of  people.  Hav- 
ing remained  with  them  about  three  months  he  renounced 
their  sentiments,  and  published  a  pamphlet  against  them, 
entitled  "Rathbun's  Hints."  He  now  resumed  his  former 
meetings ;  but  his  union  with  the  Shakers,  transient  as  it 
was,  greatly  injured  the  Baptist  Society.  Some  who  joined 
the  Shakers  never  returned.     He  however  continued   his 


48 

meetings  until  about  1790,  when  he  removed  toPompey  N. 
Y.,  where  he  died.  For  a  part  of  the  time  he  held  his 
meetings  in  an  unfinished  building  designed  for  a  meeting- 
house, which  stood  very  near  the  site  of  the  present  west 
Methodist  meeting-house.  After  his  removal,  the  church 
gradually  diminished,  and  finally  became  extinct. 

Notwithstanding  the  apparent  fickleness  of  Elder  Rath- 
bun  in  changing  his  sentiments  so  hastily,  he  is  said  to 
have  been  a  man  of  good  sense  and  piety,  and  to  have  pos- 
sessed a  respectable  share  of  information.  He  w^as  as  zeal- 
ous in  politics  as  in  religion.  In  Dec.  1775,  he  was 
placed  on  the  committee  of  inspection  and  correspondence 
for  the  town,  and  in  two  instances  in  the  time  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary war,  was  elected  a  representative  to  the  Genernl 
Court. 

In  March  1801,  a  new  Baptist  church  was  organized  in 
the  west  part  of  the  town  with  sixteen  members,  which  re- 
mained destitute  of  a  stated  pastor  until  1806,  when  Elder 
John  Francis  an  inhabitant  of  the  town,  w^as  ordained  its 
pastor.  He  ha^d  the  spiiitual  oversight  of  the  church  until 
his  death,  Sept.  21,  1813,  in  the  fifty-fifth  year  of  his  age, 
and  was  regarded  as  a  pious  and  worthy  man.  For  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  Elder  Francis  preached  in  the 
school-house  in  the  North  Woods  ;  for  tw^oor  three  years  in 
the  school  house  near  the  Methodist  meeting-house. 

Thus  deprived  of  their  pastor,  the  church  remained  va- 
cant until  1822,  when  Elder  Augustus  Beach,  a  native  of 
New  Ashford,  became  pastor  of  the  church  here  and  of  the 
church  in  Lanesborough.  In  June  1827,  when  all  the 
Baptists  in  town  repaired  to  the  new  house  of  worship  in  the 
village,  he  gave  up  the  latter  charge.  From  that  time  un- 
til May  1834,  (when  he  was  dismissed,)  he  was  pastor  of 
the  Pittsfield  church  only. 

This  congregation  has  been  favored  with  several  seasons 
of  special  attention  to  religion,  and  at  one  time  the  church 
had  more  than  200  members. 

Since  Mr.  Beach's  dismission,  they  have  had  as  regular 


49 

pastors,  Rev.  Edwin  Sands  and  Rev.  Arnold  Kingsbury,  the 
piesent  pastor,  who  began  his  laI)ors  liere  May  Isf,  1843. 
The  present  number  of  communicants  is  112. 

Their  new  meeting-house  is  of  brick,  fifty-seven  feet  by 
thirty-eight,  and  cost  about  $3000,  towards  which  "the 
church  acknowledge  the  liberal  aid  of  their  brethren  of 
other  denominations."  This  is  now  usually  well  filled  on 
the  Sabbath. 

Methodists. — The  Episcopal  Methodists  arose  in  the  west 
part  of  the  town  about  1788,  under  the  preaching  and  la- 
bors of  Rev,  Messrs.  Lemuel  Smith  and  Thomas  Everett, 
and  erected  their  meeting-house,  forty-two  and  a  half  feet 
by  thiity-four  and  a  lialf,  about  1798.  They  have  become 
nimierous.  In  1829,  they  built  a  brick  meeting-house  in  the 
east  part  of  the  village,  sixty  feet  by  forty,  where  they 
have  a  full  congregation.  Besides  these  two  meeting- 
houses, they  \\^\e  preaching  places  at  Stearnsville,  Pontoo- 
suc,  and  in  the  east  part  of  the  town.  The  professors  at  all 
these  places,  amounting  to  about  270,  are  considered  as  con- 
stituting one  church.  About  one  half  of  them  now  live  in 
and  near  the  village,  where  a  branch  was  formed  June  19, 
1829,  with  only  six  members.  For  about  fifteen  years  the 
town  of  Pittsfield  alone  has  constituted  a  station,  and  of 
course  has  been  entitled  to  the  entire  services  of  an  itiner- 
ant preacher.  The  people  have  enjoyed  the  labors  of  the 
Rev.  Cyrus  Prindle,  Jarvis  G.  Nichols,  Timothy  Benedict, 
Henry  Smith,  Luman  A.  Sanford,  John  Pegg,  Peter  M. 
Hitchcock  and  Daniel  D.  Whedon.  There  are  also  several 
local  preachers  in  town,  who  perform  a  part  of  the  public 
services.  Elder  Robert  Green,  from  Maryland,  who  had 
been  a  circuit  preacher,  and  assisted  in  the  formation  of  most 
of  the  Methodist  churches  in  the  County,  was  located  in  this 
place  in  1800,  and  preached  frequently  until  near  or  quite 
the  time  of  his  death  in  1838,  at  the  age  of  73. 

A  secession  from  the  Methodists  in  the  west  part  of  the 
town  took  place  about  1813.     The  seceders,  styled  Reform- 


50 

ed  Methodists,  built  themselves  a  small  house  for  worship, 
and  were  supplied  with  circuit  preaching  for  some  years, 
but  are  now  extinct  as  a  society. 

Episcopalians. — The  Episcopal  Society  in  this  town 
was  organized  according  to  law  in  the  summer  of  1830, 
under  the  name  of  St.  Stephen's  Church.  About  fifty 
families  connected  themselves  with  it  in  that  and  the  fol- 
lowing year,  and  their  number  has  since  increased.  The 
services  of  the  church  were  held  during  that  time  and  the 
succeeding  year  in  the  old  Town  House,  and  in  the  Lecture 
Room.  Several  clergymen  officiated  for  the  society  during 
this  period,  and  among  them  the  Rev.  George  T.  Chapman, 
D.  D.,  late  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  afterwards  of  Portland,  Maine, 
now  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  who  was  principally  instrumental 
in  gathering  the  society.  In  Oct.  1831,  the  Parish  determin- 
ed upon  building  their  present  place  of  worship,  and  then 
invited  the  Rev.  Edward  Ballard,  at  that  time  preaching  at 
North  Charlestown  and  Drewsville,  N.  Hampshire,  to  be 
their  permanent  Rector.  The  church,  which  is  a  vety  hand- 
some edifice  after  the  Gothic  order,  is  built  of  blue  lime 
stone,"  (obtained  from  Luce's  quary.)  "with  a  tower,  and 
occupies  the  site  of  the  old  Town  House.  Its  dimensions 
are  sixty-seven  feet  by  forty-three :  height  of  tower  eighty 
feet.  It  was  finished  in  Dec.  1832,  and  then  consecrated  to 
the  service  of  Almighty  God,  to  be  a  place  of  worship  for- 
ever, according  to  the  doctrine,  discipline  and  worship  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Bal- 
lard, A.  M.  was  instituted  Rector  of  the  Parish.  He  is  a 
native  of  Hopkinton,  N.  Hampshire,  and  received  his  The- 
ological education  at  the  General  Seminary  of  the  Church 
in  New  York.  The  Rector  is  supported  from  the  income  of 
a  fund,  (contributed  for  the  purpose,  which  now  amounts 
to  nearly  $5000,)  and  by  a  tax  on  pews,  which  have  been 
sold  outright,  and  are  the  property  of  purchasers  and  their 
descendants  forever,  on  the  condition  of  paying  said  tax. 


51 

The  cluucli  owns  a  commodious  parsonage,  conveniently 
situated  on  North  Street. 

Connected  with  this  church  is  a  scholarship  in  the  Gener- 
al Theological  Seminary  at  New  York,  founded  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Parish  at  an  expense  of  |)2100.  It  is  a  perma- 
nent fund,  and  the  income  is  devoted  to  the  support  of  a 
student  of  divinity.  After  the  death  of  the  founders,  the 
right  of  presentation  to  its  benefits  vests  in  the  Rector  of 
the  Parish.  Several  persons  have  received  its  benefits,  and 
it  is  intended  to  apply  them  to  persons  born  and  educated  in 
this  County,  in  preference  to  others,  if  there  are  such  per- 
sons needing  them.  Tliree  years  is  the  usual  and  required 
term  of  incumbency. 

The  Church  is  furnished  with  a  very  fine  organ,  built  by 
Goodrich  at  Boston,  which  cost  about  $600,  and  is  a  gift 
to  the  Parish  from  Madam  Chandler  Williams. 

The  society  has  thus  far  been  prospered,  and  great  har- 
mony has  prevailed  among  the  members  thereof  since  its 
formation.  There  are  now  belonging  to  the  church  about 
seventy  communicants. 


DISTINGUISHED    INDIVIDUALS. 

A  number  of  gentlemen  in  this  town  have  been  greatly 
employed  and  honored  in  public  life.  Among  these  the 
Hon.  W7?7.  Williams  deserves  to  be  particularly  mentioned. 
His  father,  of  the  same  name,  was  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Weston ;  and  his  grandfather,  also  of  the  same  name,  was 
pastor  of  the  chureh  in  Hatfeld.  In  1729  he  was  graduated 
at  Harvard  College — soon  after  which  he  settled  as  a  mer- 
chant in  Boston,  where  he  became  a  member  of  the  West 
church  in  that  town.  About  1744  he  removed  to  Deerfield, 
and  thence  to  this  place  in  1753.  Upon  his  first  coming  here 
he  lived  in  a  house,  used  as  a  fort  in  the  second  French  war, 
standing  where  Mr.  Levi  Goodrich  now  dwells,  and  then  near 
the  "  Four  corners,"  where  Joseph  Shearer,  Esq.  recently 
resided.     In  1740,  during  the  w^ar  between  Great  Britain  and 


52 

Spain,  he  went  in  the  great  but  as  it  proved  unfortunate  ex- 
pedition ag-ainst  the  Spanisli  West  Indies.     In  what  capaci- 
ty he  entered  the  service  is  unknown,  but  while  the  forces 
from  Great  Britain  and  the  Colonies  were  at  Port  Royal  in 
Jamaica,  he  was  honored  with  an  ensign's  commission  in 
the  regiment  of  foot  commanded  by  Col.  Wm.  Gooch.     In 
1744,  when  France  became  united  with  Spain  in  this  con- 
troversy, he  was  appointed  Major  of  the  forces  in  the  ser- 
vice of  g'overnment  posted   on   the   line  of   forts  between 
Connecticut  river  and  the  river  Hoosic — and  in  the  course 
of  that  year  Avas  authorized  to  erect  a  fortification  in  Cole- 
raine.     The  next  year  he  was  made  a  Lieut.  Colonel  of  the 
8th  regiment  raised  in   Massachusetts  for   the  expedition 
against  Cape  Breton.     In  1758,  (in  the  second  French  war,) 
he  marched  at  the  head  of  a  regiment  to  Canada.     In  1763 
he  was  constituted  colonel  of  the   regiment  of  militia  in  the 
County  of  Berkshire  ;  and  in  1771,  when  probably  the  regi- 
ment was  divided,  Colonel  of  the  northern  regiment  in  the 
County  ;  the  southern  it  is  understood  being  placed  at  that 
time  under  the  command  of  his  cousin.  Col.  Elijah  Will- 
iams, then   of  West  Stockbridge.     When  an  attempt  was 
made  by  forces  from  New  York  to  drive  off  settlers  from 
Egremont,  under  pretence  that  the  town  lay  within  the 
limits   of  that  colony,  he  was  active  in  repelling  the  inva- 
sion.    How  he  discharged  the  various  duties  devolved  upon 
him  by  these  appointments,  it  may  be  difficult  now  precise- 
ly to  ascertain.     The  appointments  themselves  are  an  hon- 
orable testimony  to  his  abilities.     According  to  tradition  he 
possessed  to  a  high  degree  the  attributes  of  a  good  officer. 
The  civil  duties  to  which  he  was  called  were  also  numerous 
and  important.     In  1748,  while  living  at  Deerfield,  he  was 
made  a  justice  of  the  peace   for  the  County  of  Hampshire, 
an  office  which  he  probably  retained  after  his  removal  to 
Pittsfield,  until  the  formation  of  this  Count}^  as  Pittsfield 
belonged  to  the  former  County  until  that  period.     At  tliat 
time   he  was  appointed  a  Judge  of  the  County   Court  for 
Berkshire,  and  upon  the  death  of  Gen.  Joseph  Dwight,  in 


53 

1765,  li!3  l)ecanic  the  piesiding-  Judgi^  of  tliis  Court,  and  also 
Judge  of  Pio1)atc.  The  first  office  he  held  until  1781  :  the 
second  he  gave  up  three  years  previous.  For  a  long  time 
he  was  the  principal  magistrate  in  the  northein  part  of  the 
County.  His  deatii  occurred  April  5th  17S4,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five.  In  recommending  him  to  the  church  in  Pitts- 
field,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Mayhew  dcxlares,  "  that  his  life 
and  conversation  were  as  becomes  a  professor  of  the  gos- 
pel." The  Rev.  Mr.  Allen  says,  "  he  was  a  gentleman  of 
liberal  education  and  cultivated  understanding,  of  great 
generosity,  a  friend  of  religious  order  and  of  the  happiness 
of  the  town." 

Charles  Goodrich,  Esq.  came  to  this  town  in  1752,  a  year 
before  Col.  Williams,  as  has  been  stated,  and  lived  for  a 
time  likewise  in  a  house  used  as  a  fortification  in  the  second 
French  war,  constructed  of  squared  logs,  and  standing  a  lit- 
tle south-east  of  the  dwelling-house  of  Mr.  Hosea  Merrill, 
Jr. ;  though  he  spent  most  of  his  days  in  the  dwelling  near 
the  "  Four  Corners,"  recently  occupied  by  his  son,  the  Rev. 
Charles  Goodrich.  He  was  the  proprietor  of  several  lots  of 
land  in  the  township  ;  and  in  1761  he  obtained  a  grant  of  the 
southern  part  of  Hancock,  probably  with  a  view  to  the  ac- 
commodation of  some  of  his  relatives.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Provincial  Congress  which  met  at  Concord  April  12, 
1774,  and  he  repeatedly  represented  the  town  at  the  Gener- 
al Court.  From  1774  till  1778,  he  was  a  Judge  of  the 
County  Court.     He  died  Nov.  16,  1816,  aged  ninety-six. 

Col.  Oliver  Root  was  distinguished  as  a  military  man. 
In  early  life  he  served  two  campaigns  in  the  second  French 
war.  He  was  a  native  of  Westfield,  and  it  is  worthy  of  a 
passing  notice,  that  in  going  onward  to  the  north,  he  and 
others  with  him  came  to  this  town  as  is  supposed,  on  the 
route  now  occupied  by  the  Rail  Road,  having  an  Indian 
guide  and  also  aid  from  marked  trees.  They  encamped  one 
night  near  the  eastern  line  of  the  town  in  Dalton.  He 
crossed  Lake  George  under  Gen.  Abercrombie  in  his  great 


54 

and  imposing;  flotilla  of  boats,  in  his  approach  to  Ticonde- 
roga,  and  was  in  the  disastrous  battle  which  followed,  under 
the  walls  of  that  fortress,  where  nearly  2000  men  in  the 
army  of  that  unfortunate  commander  were  either  killed  or 
wounded.  Col.  Root's  services  on  the  lines  were  principal- 
ly in  the  corps  of  rangers  under  Maj.  Rodgers,  an  arduous 
situation  for  a  youth  of  sixteen  and  seventeen  years  of  age 
and  full  of  temptations,  but  he  had  resolution,  and  through 
the  blessing  of  God,  strength  to  bear  hardship,  and  principle 
to  resist  temptation.  Integrity  marked  his  conduct  on  his 
return. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  Revolutionary  war  he  bore  a  part 
in  the  capacity  of  a  captain  in  the  operations  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York,  and  was  among  the  troops  who  marched  into 
the  city  when  it  was  evacuated  by  the  British.  He  was  at 
Bennington  near  the  time  of  the  battle,  but  for  reasons  which 
circumstances  would  doubtless  satisfactorily  explain,  not  in 
season  to  take  a  part  in  the  action,  and  he  afterwards  had 
the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Bur- 
goyne  at  Saratoga.  He  was  a  Major  under  Col.  Brown 
when  that  brave  officer  fell  at  Stone  Arabia;  succeeding  to 
the  command,  he  successfully  conducted  the  retreat,  and  by 
his  wisdom,  saved  the  block-house  and  his  men.  Having 
only  one  brass  piece  and  three  cartridges  of  pow^der,  he  or- 
dered his  men  to  break  up  their  pots  and  kettles  for  balls, 
and  by  the  firing  of  this  single  piece,  so  intimidated  an 
overwhelming  force  while  deliberating  about  an  attack  up- 
on the  block-house,  that  they  withdrew.  That  force  the 
next  day  was  overcome  by  Gen  Van  Rensellaer. 

Col.  Root  was  an  acting  magistrate ;  and  while  he  main- 
tained religious  order  in  his  family,  was  a  constant  at- 
tendant upon  the  worship  of  God.  His  death  occurred 
May  2,  1826,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

Woodbridge  Little,  Esq.,  a  native  of  Lebanon,  Ct.,  came 
here  about  1766.  He  was  the  first  gentleman  who  settled 
in  the  town  as  a  lawyer.  The  inhabitants  in  several  in- 
stances appointed  him  a  representative  to  the  General  Court. 


55 

He  was  a  trustee  and  benefactor  of  Williams  College,  the 
Corporation  of  whirli  havi;  preserved  (lie  leading  fac(s  in 
his  history  in  a  marble  tablet  inserted  in  the  wall  of  the 
College  Chapel,  on  the  left  of  the  desk,  over  against  the 
tablet  of  Col.  Ephraini  Williams  on  the  right.  "  To  the 
memory  of  the  venerable  Woodbridge  Little,  Esq.  who  was 
graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1760,  v\^as  early  licensed  to 
preach  tiie  gospel;  afterwards  became  a  distinguished  law- 
yer and  public  benefactor;  and  died  at  Pittsfield,  June  21, 
1813,  aged  seventy  two.  Not  satisfied  with  giving  his  prop- 
erty to  Christ  when  he  could  no  longer  hold  it  himself,  he 
presented  to  this  College  in  his  life  time  $2500,  and  at  his 
death  raised  the  sum  to  near  $5100,  for  the  education  of 
pious  and  promising  youth  for  the  gospel  ministry  ;  a  char- 
ity which  will  extend  an  incalculable  influence  through 
ages  that  will  never  end." 

Hon.  Timothy  Childs,  M.  D.  entered  Harvard  College  in 
1764.  Having  studied  physic  with  Dr.  Thomas  Williams, 
physician  in  Deerfield,  his  native  town,  he  commenced 
practice  here  in  1771.  In  1774  he  took  a  commission  in  a 
company  of  minute  men  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Da- 
vid Noble,  and  upon  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington 
went  with  this  company  to  Boston,  where  he  was  soon  after 
appointed  a  surgeon  of  the  army.  In  1777  he  left  the  army 
and  resumed  his  practice  in  this  town,  in  which  he  continu- 
ed until  within  less  than  a  week  of  his  death,  Feb.  20,  1821, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  He  was  repeatedly  a  member 
of  the  General  Court  in  both  branches — a  member  of  the 
Medical  Society  of  the  State,  and  president  of  the  District 
Society. 

Col.  John  B7'ownwas  probably  born  in  Brimfield  or  Gran- 
ville, as  his  parents  removed  to  those  towns  from  Woodstock, 
Ct.  before  they  settled  in  Sandisfield,  where  he  spent  his 
early  youth.  After  graduating  at  Yale  College  in  1771,  he 
studied  law  with  Oliver  Arnold  in  Providence,  and  com- 
menced the  practice  at  Caughnawaga,  now  Johnstown,  N. 


56 

York,  and  was  appointed  King's  Attorney.  Here  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  Sir  John  Johnson,  through  whose 
wickedness  he  and  numbers  under  him  were  afterwards 
massacred.  About  1773  he  moved  to  Pittsfield,  where  there 
was  no  lawyer  excepting  Mr.  Little.  Excited  by  the  ag- 
gressions of  Great  Britain,  now  beginning  to  be  deeply  felt 
in  the  Colonies,  he  resolved  to  hazard  every  thing  for  the 
welfare  of  his  country.  Bold  and  prudent,  and  having  a 
fine  personal  appearance,  he  was  selected  by  the  State 
Committee  of  correspondence  in  1774,  for  the  hazardous 
enterprize  of  going  to  Canada  to  induce  the  people  of  that 
province  to  unite  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  States  against 
the  mother  country.  His  pretence  was  the  purchase  of 
horses  ;  but  the  Canadians  remarked,  that  he  was  a  singu- 
lar jockey,  for  the  horses  never  suited  him.  Once  indeed 
the  house  in  whicli  he  lodged,  was^  assailed ;  but  he  made 
his  escape.  He  was  delegate  to  the  Provincial  Congress, 
Feb.  15, 1775.  Immediately  after  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
Capts.  Edward  Mott  and  Noah  Phelps  of  Hartford,  Ct.  with 
others,  formed  the  purpose  of  taking  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
Point  by  surprise.  They  marched  privately  April  29,  with 
sixteen  unarmed  men.  Arriving  at  Pittsfield,  they  commu- 
nicated the  project  to  Mr.  Brown  and  Col.  James  Easton  ; 
a  post  having  been  sent  to  Col.  Ethan  Allen,  in  Vt.  These 
gentlemen  immediately  engaged  to  co-operate,  and  to  raise 
men  for  the  purpose.  Of  the  Berkshire  men  and  the  Green 
Mountain  boys  230  were  collected  under  the  command  of 
Allen,  and  proceeded  to  Caslleton.  Here  they  were  unex- 
pectedly joined  by  Col.  Arnold,  who  had  been  commission- 
ed by  the  Massachusetts  Committee  to  raise  400  men  and 
effect  the  same  object,  which  was  now  about  to  be  accom- 
plished. As  he  had  not  raised  the  men,  he  was  admitted 
only  to  act  as  an  assistant  to  Col.  Allen.  They  reached  the 
lake  opposite  Ticonderoga  on  Tuesday  evening  May  9,  1775, 
and  the  next  day  Ticonderoga  was  taken,  and  a  day  or  two 
after,  Crown  Point ;  soon  a  sloop  of  war,  which  made 
Allen  and  his  brave  party  complete  masters  of  lake  Cham- 
plain.      Mr.   Brown   was  intrusted   with    the    business   of 


57 

conveying  away  the  prisoners,  and  was  also  sent  as  express 
to  the  General  Congress  at  Philadelphia,  where  he  arrived 
May  17th.  In  Jidy  he  and  Allen  were  despatched  through 
the  woods  into  Canada  to  assure  the  Canadians,  that  their 
religion  and  liberties  should  not  be  impaired  by  the  ap- 
proaching anny.  On  the  24th  of  Sept.  he  took  Fort  Cham- 
blee.  The  next  day  Allen,  who  expected  the  co-o})eration 
of  Brown,  marched  upon  Montreal,  but  was  attacked  Ijy  a 
superior  force  and  taken  prisoner.  As  this  was  an  expedi- 
tion unauthorized  by  any  higher  authority,  Allen  was  treat- 
ed with  great  severity. 

While  Arnold  was  before  Quebec,  Brown,  then  a  Major, 
arrived  from  Sorrel  and  joined  him :  Montgomery  had  ar- 
rived two  days  before.  In  the  attack  on  Quebec,  Dec.  31, 
Major  Brown  with  a  part  of  a  regiment  of  Boston  troops 
was  directed  to  co-operate  by  making  a  false  attack  upon 
the  walls  to  the  south  of  St.  John's  gate,  and  to  set  fire  to 
the  gate  with  combustibles  prepared  for  the  purpose.  He 
executed  his  part  in  the  enterprize  :  Col.  Livingston,  owing 
to  the  depth  of  the  snow,  failed  in  his.  In  this  assault 
Montgomery  fell.  The  Congress,  Aug.  1,  1776,  voted  him 
a  commission  of  Lieut.  Colonel,  with  rank  and  pay  in  the 
continental  array  from  Nov.  1775.  In  Dec.  1776  he  con- 
ducted a  regiment  of  militia  to  Fort  Independence.  After 
the  defeat  of  Col.  Baum  at  Bennington,  in  1777,  he  was 
despatched  by  Gen.  Lincoln  from  Paulet  to  the  north  end  of 
Lake  George  with  500  men  to  relieve  our  prisoners.  By 
marching  all  night  he  attacked  the  enemy  at  break  of  day 
Sept.  17th,  at  the  landing  three  miles  from  Ticonderoga  ;  set 
at  liberty  100  of  our  men  ;  made  prisoners  of  293  ;  took  the 
landing,  Mount  Defiance,  Mount  Hope,  the  English  lines, 
and  the  block-house ;  200  batteaux,  an  armed  sloop,  sever- 
al gun-boats,  a  few  cannon,  and  a  vast  quantity  of  plunder. 
His  letter  to  Gen.  Gates  Sept.  18,  describes  his  success, 
which  tended  to  raise  the  spirit  of  the  troops  and  to  excite 
the  militia  to  join  their  brethren.  After  this  exploit  he 
joined  the  main  army.  In  the  next  month  Burgoyne  was 
captured. 


58 

Soon  after  this  event  Col,  Brown  retired  from  the  service 
on  account  of  his  detestation  of  Arnold.  In  the  campaign 
in  Canada  in  1776,  he  had  become  acquainted  with  his  char- 
acter ;  and  it  is  remarkable,  that  at  this  period,  three  years 
before  the  treason  of  Arnold,  he  published  a  handbill  of 
thirteen  or  fourteen  articles  against  him,  in  the  height  of 
his  fame,  charging  him  with  levying  contiibutions  on  the 
Canadians  for  his  own  private  use  and  benefit.  He  said  that 
Arnold  would  prove  a  traitor,  for  he  had  sold  many  a  life 
for  money.  The  people  of  La  Prairie  had  submitted  on  the 
promise  of  good  quarters  ;  but  their  village  was  plundered 
and  burnt  and  lives  were  destroyed.  After  this  Col.  Brown 
was  occasionally  employed  in  the  Massachusetts  service. 
He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  in  1778. 

In  the  fall  of  1780  he  marched  up  the  Mohawk,  it  is  un- 
derstood, for  the  relief  of  fort  Schuyler,  (at  Utica)  endan- 
gered by  the  invasion  of  Sir  John  Johnson  and  Brandt,  with 
their  horde  of  regulars,  tories  and  Indians,  who  were  carry- 
ing war  and  desolation  among  the  settlements  eastward  on 
that  river.  Brandt  had  already  desolated  the  settements 
south  of  the  Mohawk,  and  Sir  John  was  engaged  in  the 
work  of  ruin  on  the  north  of  it.  Col.  Brown  advanced  as 
far  as  the  small  palisade  fort  at  Stone  Arabia  in  Palatine, 
where  he  had  under  him,  130  men.  Apprised  about  this 
time  of  the  proceedings  of  the  enemy,  Gen.  Van  Renssel- 
aer collected  the  militia  of  Claverack  and  Schenectady,  and 
proceeded  as  far  as  Caughnawaga.  From  this  place  he 
Avrote  to  Col.  Brown  to  turn  out  and  check  the  advance  of 
the  enemy,  and  he  would  support  him  from  the  rear ;  in  at- 
tempting to  execute  this  order  he  was  led  by  a  traitor  into 
an  ambuscade  of  Johnson's  men,  before  whom  he  fell,  fight- 
ing manfully  at  the  head  of  his  little  band,  on  his  birth  day, 
Oct.  19  ,  1780,  aged  thirty-six  years.  Forty-five  of  his  men, 
many  of  whom  marched  from  Berkshire  the  week  before, 
were  also  killed.  The  rest  unable  to  oppose  a  much  larger 
force  retreated.  The  next  day  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  who, 
owing  to  some  delay,  had  failed  of  supporting  Brown,  ob- 


59 

tained  a  victory  over  this  force  at  Fox's  mills,  a  few  miles 
distant. 

When  Johnson  fonnd  that  liis  former  friend  was  slain,  it 
is  said  his  savage  heart  for  a  moment  relented,  and  that  he 
gave  way  to  the  emotion  of  grief. 

The  death  of  Col.  Brown,  in  such  a  manner,  is  one  of 
the  mysterious  events  of  Providence.  Few  if  any  in  the 
county  had  such  prospects  of  distinction  and  honor  in  life. 

Col.  Brown  left  a  widow,  (late  wife  of  Capt.  Jared  In- 
gersoll)  and  four  cliildren,  two  daughters  and  two  sons. 
The  daughters  married  Wm.  Butler,  printer,  Northampton* 
and  Dr.  Hooker  of  Rutland,  Vt.  The  youngest  son,  Maj. 
Henry  C.  Brown,  was  for  a  long  time  the  Sheriff  of  the 
County. 

Col.  Simon  Lamed,  a  native  of  Thompson,  Ct.,  came  to 
tliis  town  in  1784,  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  merchan- 
dize. He  was  for  many  years  Sheriff  of  the  County,  and 
in  one  instance,  represented  this  district  in  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States.  Before  settling  here  he  was  an  officer  of 
merit  in  the  Revolutionary  war — and  upon  the  commence- 
ment of  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  he  was  appointed 
Colonel  of  the  9th  regiment  of  United  States  infantry,  and 
remained  in  the  service  until  the  war  was  closed.  He  died 
Nov.  16, 1817,  aged  sixty-one. 

The  Rev.  Sylvester  Lamed,  son  of  the  preceding,  minis- 
ter of  the  first  Presbyterian  church  in  the  city  of  New  Or- 
leans, was  greatly  distinguished  for  talents  and  moving  elo- 
quence. He  entered  Williams  College  at  an  early  age,  but 
soon  left  that  institution  and  unitedhimself  with  the  college 
in  Middlebury,  where  he  was  graduated  with  a  high  repu- 
tation as  a  scholar  in  l8l3.  In  the  last  year  of  his  college 
life  he  became  the  hopeful  subject  of  grace.  Having  stud- 
ied theology  for  a  time  at  Andover  and  then  at  Princeton, 
he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  in  1817.  Wherever 
he  went  preaching,  a  high  popularity  followed  him — and 
efforts  were  made  to  secure  him  as  pastor  by  churches  in 


60 

Boston,  Baltimore  and  Alexandria.  In  Jan.  iSlS  he  visited 
New  Orleans,  where  he  united  in  accomplishing-  the  plan, 
which  Mr.  Cornelius  had  started  a  few  weeks  before,  of 
forming-  a  Presbyterian  congregation  in  that  place.  The 
work  was  soon  done,  and  he  became  the  pastor.  In  the  fol- 
lowing summer  he  visited  New  England,  and  procured  ma- 
terials for  the  erection  of  a  church,  the  corner  stone  of 
which  was  laid  Jan.  8, 1819.  But  he  was  not  suffered  long 
to  live  to  exert  a  blessed  influence  in  the  great  emporium  of 
the  west.  He  fell  a  victim  of  the  yellow  fever  Aug.  31, 1820, 
aged  24.  Few  men  in  our  country  ever  attained  so  soon  to 
equal  celebrity,  and  promised  so  much  usefulness  to  the 
church.  His  widow,  Sarah  Wyer,  of  Ncwburyport,  died  at 
the  city  of  Washington,  Jan.  20,  1825,  aged  twenty-five. 

Gen.  Charles  Lamed,  an  elder  brother  of  Sylvester,  died 
at  Detroit  on  the  13th  of  Sept.  1834,  in  the  forty-third  year  of 
his  age.  He  also  entered  Williams  College  at  an  early  pe- 
riod, where  he  industriously  pursued  his  classical  studies. 
On  leaving  college  he  studied  law  with  the  Hon.  Jno. 
Hunt,  then  of  Stockbridge,  about  two  years.  He  then  went 
to  Lexington,  Ky.,  with  a  view  of  pursuing  his  studies,  but 
was  soon  made,  first  a  Lieutenant  and  then  Adjutant,  in  a 
regiment  of  volunteers,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Owen. 
The  regiment  joined  the  army  on  the  frontiers  in  Aug.  1813, 
and  participated  in  most  of  the  events  of  the  northwestern 
campaign.  Lieut.  Larried  was  present  with  it  at  the  battle 
of  the  Moravian  Towns  on  the  Thames,  and  at  different  pe- 
riods was  despatched  with  small  bodies  of  men  to  protect 
the  terrified  inhabitants,  and  to  quiet  the  fears  of  the  de- 
fenceless women  and  children  in  the  interior,  every  where 
exhibiting  the  utmost  coolness  and  intrepidity.  He  remain- 
ed attached  to  the  army  till  some  time  in  the  year  1814, 
when  he  resigned  his  commission  to  devote  himself  to  the 
practice  of  law  in  Detroit.  In  Dec.  on  the  re-organization 
of  the  government,  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Cass,  Attor- 
ney General  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan,  an  office  which 


61 

he  held  np  to  the  year  1S2-,  when  he  resigned.  Subse- 
quently he  was  appointed  to  other  offices  civil  and  military; 
he  became  a  Brig.  General  of  militia.  He  stood  very  high 
at  the  Michigan  bar,  as  an  able  and  elo((uent  advocate. 
He  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  religious  institutions,  a  friend 
and  successful  promoter  of  the  temperance  reformation,  a 
patron  of  (niterprizing  youth,  striving  to  rise  in  the  world  by- 
personal  and  commendable  exertions — faithful  and  happy 
in  the  duties  of  domestic  and  relative  life. 

Solomon  Metculf  Allen,  son  of  the  first  minister  of  this 
town,  a  particular  friend  and  classmate  of  Sylvester  Ear- 
ned, was  destined  by  his  father  to  be  a  farmer,  being  athletic 
and  fond  of  active  life  ;  but  after  he  became  pious,  his  friends 
wishing  that  he  should  receive  a  collegiate  education,  he 
commenced  the  study  of  Latin  at  the  age  of  twenty.  At 
college  he  was  distinguished  among  his  fellows  in  the  ac- 
quisition of  knowledge.  During  a  year  spent  at  Andover, 
besides  attending  to  the  customary  studies,  he  read  a  part 
of  the  New  Testament  in  the  Syriac  language.  After  offi- 
ciating for  two  years  as  tutor,  he  was  chosen  in  1816,  profes- 
sor of  the  ancient  languages,  having  risen  to  this  honor  in  sev- 
en 3'ears  after  commencing  the  study  of  Latin.  But  he  W'as 
hardly  permitted  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  this  professor- 
ship. Induced,  on  account  of  a  defect  in  the  chimney,  to 
go  imprudently  upon  the  roof  of  the  college  building,  he 
fell  from  it  Sept.  23d,  1817,  aged  twenty-eight  years.  In 
his  last  hours  his  numerous  friends  crowded  around  him, 
*' watching  with  trembling  anxiety  the  flight  of  his  immor- 
tal soul  to  the  kindred  spirits  of  a  better  world."  "  Under 
the  extreme  anguish  of  his  dying  moments,  resigning  the 
loveliness,  which  he  had  hoped  would  be  shortly  his  own,  and 
all  the  fair  prospects  of  this  world,  he  exclaimed — *  The 
Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice  !  0  Father,  thy  will  be 
done  !  So  seemeth  it  good  in  thy  sight,  0  Lord.'  "  Professor 
Allen  was  a  sound  and  thorough  scholar. 

Allen  S.  Lamed,  Alexander  M.  Fisher,  Levi   Parsons, 


62 

Pliny  Fisk  and  Joseph  R.  Andrus,  students  at  Andover,  are 
alluded  to  by  Carlos  Wilcox  in  the  following  lines  : 

"  Ye  were  a  group  of  stars  collected  here, 

Some  mildly  glowing,  some  sparkling  bright ; 

Here  rising  in  a  region  calm  and  clear, 

Ye  shone  a  while  with  intermingled  light; 

Then  parting,  each  pursuing  his  own  flight 

O'er  the  wide  hemisphere,  ye  singly  shone; 

But,  ere  ye  climed  to  half  your  promised  height, 

Ye  sunk  again  with  brightening  glory  round  you  thrown, 

Each  left  a  brilliant  track,  as  each  expired  alone." 

The  Hon.  Chandler  Williams  was  a  native  of  Roxbury 
and  g-raduate  of  Harvard  College,  1777.  He  w^as  admitted 
to  the  bar,  it  is  understood  in  this  County,  about  1783  or  4. 
From  1794  until  1799  he  represented  the  town  at  the  Gen- 
eral Court.  He  represented  it  again  in  1800,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Governor's  Council  in  1817,  and  1818. 

Mr.  Thomas  Gold  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Hezekiah  Gold  of 
Cornwall,  Ct.  While  a  member  of  Yale  College,  for  six  or 
seven  months  in  1777,  he  was  secretary  to  Gen.  Putnam  at 
the  Highlands  in  New  York.  After  graduating  in  1778  he 
studied  law,  and  in  1792  came  to  this  place.  Besides  filling 
town  offices,  he  was  president  of  the  Agricultural  Bank  and 
of  the  Berkshire  Agricultural  Society. 

The  Hon.  John  W.  Hulbert,  a  native  of  Alford,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1794.  He  practiced  law  here  for  sev- 
eral years,  and  was  a  member  of  Congress  from  1815,  to 
1817.  The  latter  part  of  his  life  he  practiced  law  in  Au- 
burn, New  York. 

Col.  Samuel  M.  McKay  "was  much  esteemed  for  his  so- 
cial qualities,  his  liberality  to  the  poor  and  unfortunate,  and 
his  efforts  to  promote  and  extend  the  prosperity  of  the  town. 
He  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  people,  and  they  bestow- 
ed upon  him  the  highest  offices  in  their  gift,  at  various 
times :  at  the  time  of  his  decease  he  was  one  of  the  repre' 


63 

sentatives  in  the  State  Legislature."    He  died  of  a  consimip- 
tioii  Oct.  6lh.  1834,  aged  thirty-eiglit. 

"  Col.   Joshua  Danforth^''^   to   use  the    language    of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Brinsmade,   in   the    sermon  preached    at   his    fu- 
neral, "was  born  in  Western,    [now   Warren,]    Massachu- 
setts,   November   26th,   1759.      He  was  the  son  of  Jona- 
than Danforth,  an  oflicer  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  who 
acted    a  conspicuous  part   as   commander   of  a    Batti\lion 
at  the  Battle  of  Bennington.     It  was  the  intention  of  his 
father,   in  early  life,  to  give    this  son  a   liberal    education, 
and  he  was  qualifying  himself  to  enter  College  when  the 
Revolutionary  struggle   commenced.      It  was  then,  wlien 
the  note  of  war  was  sounded  and  the  veteran  troops  of 
England  were  pouring  in  upon  our  territories,  that,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  years,  he  entered  the  army  in  the  capacity  of 
clerk  in  his  father's  company.     After  having  served  several 
months  in  this  office,  at  the  same  time  discharging  the  duties 
of  Surgeon's  mate,  he  received,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  an  En- 
sign's commission.     From  this  post  he  was  promoted,  and  in 
1778  raised  to  the  rank  of  first  Lieutenant,  in  which  office 
he  continued  until  1781,  when  he  was  appointed  Paymaster, 
with  the  rank  of  Captain.       His   first  active  services  were 
performed  at  Roxbury,  in  June,  1775,  at  the  time  the  British 
were  throwing  bombs  into  that  place.     When  Gen.  Wash- 
ington had  ordered  the  army  to  remove  from  the  place,  and 
the  last  regiment  had  left  the  encampment,  it  was  ascertain- 
ed that  a  part  of  the  baggage  had  been  left  behind,  and  a 
detachment  of  men,  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Danforth, 
was  ordered  to  go  and  secure  it,  which  was  done  at  great 
hazard.     He  remained  in  that  vicinity  until  March  17, 1776, 
when,  with  the   main  body  of  the   American  army  under 
Washington,  he  marched   into  Boston,  as  the  rear  of  the 
British  aimy  left  that  town.      He  was  in  Boston  until  the 
following  summer,  and  there  in  July  heard  for  the  first  time 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  read  to  the  army,  which 
was  called  out  for  that  purpose.      Soon  after  this  he  went 
to  Ticonderoga,  and  was  at  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne  in 
1777.     Immediately  after  this  event,  the  Brigade  to  which 
he^  hplnnorpid  was  ordered   to  New-Jersey,  and  thence  to 


64 

White  Marsh ;  and  on  the  19th  of  December  the  army  took 
up  their  winter  quarters  at  Valley  Forge,  about  twenty 
miles  from  Philadelphia,  which  was  then  in  possession  of 
the  British.  It  was  on  this  march,  the  historian  tells  us 
that  "  through  want  of  shoes  and  stockings,  over  the  hard 
frozen  ground,  the  army  might  be  tracked  from  White  Marsh 
to  Valley  Forge,  by  the  blood  from  their  feet."  Col.  Dan- 
forth  has  been  heard  to  say  that  the  sufferings  of  the  army 
fiom  want  of  food  and  shelter,  that  winter,  were  incredible. 
In  1778  he  was  in  the  Battle  of  Monmouth,  and  the  Au- 
gust following  he  went  to  Rhode  Island.  He  spent  the 
principal  part  of  the  year  1780  at  West  point  and  its  vicin- 
ity. In  1781  he  had  command,  for  some  months,  of  a  post 
a  few  miles  from  the  Hudson,  near  Tappan's  Bay,  and  was 
engaged  in  several  skirmishes  with  the  enemy.  The  army 
was  disbanded  in  1783,  but  Col.  Danforth  was  continued  in 
the  service  as  Paymaster,  to  assist  in  the  settlement  of  the 
accounts  with  the  soldiers,  and  was  not  discharged  until  the 
year  following.  In  May,  1784,  after  having  visited  the 
paternal  home,  he  removed  to  Pittsfield,  and  engaged  in 
mercantile  business,  in  company  with  Col.  Simon  Lained. 
In  1786  he  visited  a  number  of  the  towns  in  this  vicinity, 
in  company  with  the  late  Judge  Sedgwick,  and  united  his 
efforts  with  that  gentleman  to  allay  the  excitement  existing 
in  this  County  occasioned  by  Shay's  rebellion.  In  1787  he 
was  appointed  Aid-de-Camp  to  Major  General  Patterson; 
the  same  year  he  received  his  first  commission  as  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  from  John  Hancock,  and  for  a  long 
time  he  was  one  of  the  acting  magistrates  of  the  town.  In 
1794  the  Post-Office  was  established  in  this  town,  and  Col. 
Danforth  was  appointed  Post-Master.  He  retained  this  ap- 
pointment until  his  death,  Jan.  30,  1837,  a  period  of  23 
years.  From  about  1794  to  1823  he  held  successively  the 
offices  of  Town  Clerk,  Treasurer,  Selectman,  and  Assessor. 
In  1801,  '2  and  '3  and  in  1806  and  '8,  he  was  Representa- 
tive to  the  Legislature.  In  1807,  he  was  appointed  Asso- 
ciate Justice  of  the  Court  of  Sessions  of  this  County,  and 
in  1808  Chief  Justice  of  the  same  Court.     He  received  from 


65 

Mr.  Madison  the  appointment  of  United  States  Marshal 
for  tliis  District,  and  also  that  of  Principal  Assessor,  and 
Collector  of  the  Revenue,  for  the  18th  District  in  Massachu- 
setts. In  1827  and  '8,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Governor's  Council.  Besides  these  pul)lic  offices,  which 
show  the  estimate  placed  upon  his  talents  and  integrity  by 
those  who  knew  him  best,  he  did,  during-  his  residence  of 
more  than  half  a  century  in  this  town,  ever  manifest  a 
deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  this  people,  and  give  his 
time  and  influence  to  promote  their  happiness.  He  was 
distinguished  for  accuracy  in  the  discharge  of  the  various 
services  in  which  he  was  engaged;  was  kind  and  faithful 
in  all  social  and  relative  duties ;  remarkably  constant  and 
attentive  in  the  public  worship  of  God. 

Maj.  Henry  Clinton  Brown,  already  mentioned  as  the 
younger  son  of  Col.  John  Brown,  possessed,  like  his  father 
a  fine  personal  appearance.  Bred  a  merchant,  he  entered 
into  mercantile  business  in  Williamstown.  Being  appointed 
Sheriff  in  1812,  he  removed  to  Pittsfield,  where  he  spent 
his  subsequent  days.  He  died  in  office,  May  22, 1838,  aged 
fifty-nine.  He  was  distinguished  for  loveliness  of  temper 
and  gentlemanly  manners — was  kind,  generous,  faithful  as 
an  officer,  and  exemplary  as  a  Christian. 

The  preceding  sketches,  among  other  things,  show  that 
the  inhabitants  of  this  town,  considering  their  number,  have 
had  no  inconsiderable  share  in  the  privations,  hardships  and 
achievements,  arising  out  of  the  wars  by  which  the  country 
has  been  agitated.  They  were  alive  to  their  rights  and 
wants,  and  to  the  rights  and  wants  of  others  around  them. 
As  testimony  to  these  facts,  and  some  illustration  of  the 
spirit  of  the  times,  some  additional  statements  and  facts  will 
be  now  given.* 

The  settlement  commenced  a  little  before  the  second 
French  war,  during  which,  for  the  most  part,  the  people 
were  protected   by  four  fortified  houses.     A  garrison  was 

*See  Appendix,  Note  E. 

9 


66 

stationed  here  by  order  of  the  government  of  Massachusetts. 
In  this  war  it  is  not  likely  many  individuals  were  called 
abroad  into  the  public  service  :  they  were  too  much  exposed 
at  home.  Col.  William  Williams,  however,  as  remarked 
on  a  previous  page,  in  1758  marched  to  the  northward,  at 
the  head  of  a  regiment.  Ezekiel  Root  w^as  with  him,  l)ut 
in  what  capacity  is  not  known  to  tlie  writer  ;  perhaps  some 
others  were.  Oliver  Root  was  a  soldier  in  the  same  war, 
but  at  the  time  belonged  to  Westfield. 

The  scenes  of  this  war  were  fresh  in  the  remembrance  of 
the  people  when  the  Revolulionary  war  drew  on,  and  doubt- 
less served  to  prepare  them  for  the  part  they  took  in  the 
long-continued  and  arduous  struggle  for  independence.  In 
January,  1774,  the  town  encouraged  the  enlistment  of  min- 
ute or  piquet  men  into  a  company  then  forming  under  Capt. 
David  Noble,  by  promising  to  them  a  certain  portion  of 
wages.  This  company  was  attached  to  a  regiment  made 
up  of  similar  companies,  and  placed  under  the  command  of 
Colonel,  afterwards  Gen.  John  Patterson,  of  Lenox.  This 
regiment  was  marched  to  Cambridge,  immediately  after  the 
battle  of  Lexington,  and  was  re-organized  and  enlarged. 
This  was  employed  for  a  time  in  services  about  Boston, 
afterwards  in  services  in  Canada,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
exploits  at  Princeton,  Trenton  and  Saratoga.  Very  soon 
after  the  departure  of  Noble's  company  for  Cambridge,  Col. 
James  Easton  and  John  Brown,  Esq.  entered  into  the  fa- 
mous enterprize  which  had  been  started  at  Hartford,  against 
Ticonderoga.  Easton,  being  Colonel  of  the  northern  regi- 
ment of  militia  in  this  County,  undertook  to  enlist  volunleers 
for  the  expedition,  and  actually  engaged  from  forty  to  fifty 
before  his  arrival  at  Bennington,  of  whom  a  considerable 
number  were  probably  from  this  place.  Others  seem  to 
have  followed  on  afterwards,  for  there  were  seventy  men 
from  Massachasetts.  Col.  Easton  was  the  second  in  com- 
mand. The  conspicuous  part  which  the  Rev.  Thomas  Allen 
acted  in  the  battle  of  Bennington,  with  a  portion  of  his 
people  and  other  reinforcements  from  Berkshire,  has  been 
stated.  Some  from  this  town  are  understood  to  have  been 
engaged  with  Col.  Brown  in  his   exploits  at  the  carrying- 


67 

place  at  Ticonderoga  :  more  wore  with  him  probably  when 
he  fell  at  Stone  Arabia. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  give  the  number  and  names  of 
those  who  actually  enlisted  into  Capt.  Noble's  company  ; 
of  those  also  who  were  present  at  the  taking  of  Ticonderoga, 
at  the  battle  of  Bennington,  and  with  Col.  Brown,  at  the 
carrying-place  near  Ticonderoga,  and  at  Stone  Aral)ia,  were 
it  practicable  :  also  a  statement  of  the  number  and  names 
of  those  who  served  their  country  through  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  and  of  any,  wlio,  while  in  that  service,  died  of 
sickness  or  of  wounds.  Cannot  their  descendants  furnish 
these  facts,  and  cause  them  to  be  preserved,  for  the  instruc- 
tion and  benefit  of  posterity  1 

As  early  as  June,  1774,  a  standing  committee  of  safety 
and  correspondence  was  appointed  in  this  place,  to  corres- 
pond with  similar  committees  in  this  and  other  provinces  : 
at  which  time  the  people  voted  to  enter  into  a  covenant  of 
mutual  defence  with  other  towns  in  Massachusetts,  and  to 
adopt  literally  a  covenant  which  had  been  drafted  at  Wor- 
cester. This  committee  was  succeeded  by  another,  ap- 
pointed in  Dec.  1775.  The  latter  committee  in  March, 
1776,  applied  to  the  town  for  direction  how  to  recover  pay 
for  handling  persons  suspected  of  being  inimical  to  their 
country.  The  case  demanded  special  directions.  The  ap- 
plication called  forth  speedily  the  following  resolves,  which 
merit  insertion  as  evincive  of  the  spirit  prevalent  at  that 
time. 

"  Voted,  1st.  That  this  town  determine  that  said  commit- 
tee, consisting  or  having  consisted  of  who  they  may,  are  one 
and  the  same  from  their  first  appointment  to  this  day,  and 
that  all  their  transactions  and  determinations  ought  to  be 
considered  as  an  adjomned  court.  Consequently,  all  mat- 
ters and  things  that  have  not  been  finally  determined,  shall 
have  day  with  them  ;  and  that  if  there  be  any  matters  and 
things  before  them  that  are  not  yet  determined  upon,  they, 
the  committee,  as  it  now  stands,  have  as  full  power  and 
authority  to  act  upon  as  ever  they  had ;  and  if  any  persons 
have  upon  trial  appeared  inimical  to  their  country,  or  here- 


68 

after  on  trial  shall  appear  so,  they  are  hereby  empowered, 
so  far  as  our  united  influence  can  support  them,  to  tax  such 
persons  for  their  time  therein  expended  on  trial,  and  for  all 
other  necessary  charges  ;  and  on  refusal,  to  be  committed 
to  the  common  gaol,  or  be  otherwise  confined  till  paid,  and 
in  all  other  respects  to  deal  with  them  as  to  punishment, 
according-  to  the  direction  of  the  Continental  Congress,  Pro- 
vincial Congress,  or  General  Assembly. 

"  Voted,  2d.  That  if  said  committee  shall  apprehend  any 
person  or  persons,  and  convene  before  them,  whom  they 
suspect  to  be  inimical  to  their  country,  or  to  be  guilty  of 
any  other  misdemeanors,  and  upon  trial  are  found  innocent, 
in  that  case  the  said  committee  have  no  pay  for  their  time 
and  cost. 

"  Voted,  3d.  That  if  any  complaint  shall  be  brought 
before  the  said  committee  by  any  person  or  persons,  and  if 
any  complaint  so  brought  be  supported,  then  the  offender 
be  ordered  by  the  said  committee  to  pay  said  costs ;  and  if 
the  offender  shall  refuse  to  comply  in  paying  costs,  then  the 
offender  shall  be  ordered  to  confinement  in  the  common 
gaol  or  elsewhere,  until  he  comply  and  pay  the  cost,  to- 
gether with  the  confinement,  with  the  charges  thereof; 
and  in  case  any  complainant  shall  not  support  his  com- 
plaint, said  complainant  shall  be  holden  to  pay  all  costs> 
and  on  his  refusal,  shall  be  holden  and  committed  as 
aforesaid." 

In  Aug.ofthe  firstyear  just  mentioned,  (1774,)  the  people 
were  alarmed  by  "  two  acts  of  the  British  Parliament,  for 
superseding  the  charter  of"  Massachusetts,  "and  vacating 
some  of  the  principal  and  invaluable  privileges  and  franchises 
therein  contained,  which  had  passed  the  Royal  assent,  and 
been  published  in  the  Boston  papers,  that  obedience  might 
be  yielded  to  them."  It  was  deemed  "  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance to  the  well-being  of"  Massachusetts,  "  that  the 
people  of  it  should  utterly  refuse  the  least  submission  to  said 
acts,"  and  that  "the  courts  of  justice  should  immediately 
cease."  To  secure  their  cessation,  they  addiessed  a  peti- 
tion to  the  justices  of  his  Majesty's  inferior  Court  of  Com- 


69 

mon  Pleas  for  the  county.  The  precise  effect  of  the  peti- 
tion is  unknown  ;  but  it  is  a  matter  of  fact  that  judicial  pro- 
ceedings were  sfa3a^d  in  the  county  from  1774  till  1780. 

During-  the  suspension  of  the  courts  it  was  necessary  that 
special  care  should  be  taken  to  preserve  order.  The  gen- 
eral principles  regulating  civil  society,  which  had  l)efore 
been  introduced  by  public  law,  were  considered  as  virtually 
now  in  force.  They  furnished  rules  of  procedure  in  most 
cases  for  committees,  appointed  from  time  to  time  to  look 
to  the  public  welfare. 

Besides  the  men  in  Noble's  company,  engaged  in  the 
services  above  specified,  the  people  furnished  quotas  of 
men  from  time  to  time  for  the  continental  service.  Their 
sympathy  for  their  friends  and  neighbors  in  the  army,  and 
their  zeal  in  enlisting  men,  appear  strikingly  in  the  follow- 
ing votes  : 

March  30,  1778,  it  was  voted  by  the  town,  ^Hhat  money 
sufficient  to  purchase  thirty-two  shirts,  thirty-two  pair  of 
stockings  and  tliiriy-two  pair  of  shoes,  for  the  use  of  the  sol- 
diers now  in  the  continental  army,  from  this  town,  be  made  into 
a  tax;  said  money  to  be  raised  immediately,  in  the  same  method 
that  the  othex  town  taxes  have  been  laid  this  year.^^ 

In  May  following,  it  was  voted,  "  that  the  commissioned 
officers  be  empowe-^-ed  to  promise  180Z.  to  six  able  bodied  men, 
to  serve  in  the  continental  army  the  term  of  nine  months" 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1780,  the  town  accepted  the 
following  report  of  a  committee  appointed  to  devise  meas- 
ures for  raising  sixteen  continental  soldiers:  ^' that  the  town 
choose  two  thorough  men  to  act  as  a  committee  to  hire  sixteen 
men ;  and  to  obligate  themselves,  on  the  credit  of  the  town,  to 
pay  each  man  the  sum  of  30/.  in  hard  money,  over  and  above 
State  and  Continental  pay  and  rewards,  within  three  weeks  ; 
or  otherwise  to  pay  such  persons  to  their  acceptance  and  satis- 
faction.^' 

The  precise  course  w4iich  the  people  took  in  the  Shays' 
war,  the  writer  is  unable  to  state  ;  though  it  is  understood 
they  were  very  generally  on  the  side  ofgovernment.  The  ef- 
forts of  Rev.  Thomas  Allen  and  Col.  Danforth  have  been  men- 


70 

tioned  in  the  preceding  sketches  of  their  lives.  In  suppress- 
ing this  rebellion,  Gen.  Lincoln  had  for  a  time  his  head  quar- 
ters here. 

In  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  Col.  Simon  Lamed 
commanded  a  regiment.  For  a  notice  of  the  services  of 
some  of  the  sons  of  Rev.  Thomas  Allen,  in  this  war,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  the  account  already  given  of  him. 

Much  was  done  by  the  first  settlers  of  this  town  and  their 
immediate  descendants,  to  promote  the  cause  of  liberty,  and 
to  secure  the  best  interests  of  man.  Great  were  their  sacrifi- 
ces !  But  they  are  gone  to  the  grave.  The  number  of  those 
who  remember  them  is  continually  diminishing.  Every 
man  will  draw  after  them,  as  there  have  been  innumerable 
befoie  them.*  Happy  are  they  who  serve  God  and  their 
generation  faithfully  by  his  will. 

•  See  Appendix,  Note  F. 


APPENDIX. 


NOTE  A. 

In  May  1812,  Maj.  Gen.  Dearborn  purchased  a  lot  of  about  13  acres,  (on 
which  the  buildings  of  the  Young  Ladies'  Institute  now  stand,  for  the  site  of 
a  cantonment ;  and  also  another  lot  of  one  acre  with  a  house  thereon  near 
by,  as  a  residence  for  the  person  to  be  charged  with  the  superintendence  of 
the  establishment.  On  the  first  mentioned  lot,  two  buildings  for  barracks  and 
one  for  officers'  quarters,  with  piazzas  in  front,  and  another  for  an  hospital, 
all  two  stories,  were  immediately  erected  by  Maj.  Thomas  Melville,  as  Quar- 
ter-Master and  Agent  of  Gen.  Dearborn :  two  buildings  were  likewise  erect- 
ed for  stores  and  a  guard-house.  Towards  the  close  of  the  year  a  further 
purchase  was  made  of  about  seven  acres  of  land  immediately  adjoining  for 
the  purpose  of  erecting  suitable  buildings  for  the  accommodation  of  a  regi- 
ment of  cavalry.  Most  of  the  troops  stationed  here  having  been  with- 
drawn to  the  lines  it  was  deemed  expedient  the  succeeding  year  to  establish 
a  depot  of  prisoners  of  war  on  the  cantonment :  in  consequence  of  which 
two  buildings  which  had  been  erected  for  stables,  (each  200  feet  long)  and 
one  of  the  infantry  barracks,  were  arranged  for  the  safe  keeping  of  prisoners, 
and  continued  to  be  so  used  until  peace  took  place.  For  a  time  there  were 
5  or  600  prisoners  here,  requiring  a  strong  guard.  Among  these  were  many 
officers.  Gen.  Rial  and  others.  The  prisoners  were  sent  from  this  place  to 
Montreal. 

The  cantonment  ground  with  the  privileges  and  appurtenances  thereof  be- 
ing unnecessary  for  the  purposes  of  the  Government  in  a  time  of  peace,  were 
sold  at  auction  in  Dec.  1S26. 

The  town  of  Pittsfield,  and  indeed  the  county  of  Berkshire,  is  said  to  have 
derived  great  benefit,  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  from  the  location  of  this 
military  establishment,  not  only  by  reason  of  the  disbursement  of  large  sums 
of  money  for  the  erection  of  buildings,  the  pay  of  the  troops,  transportation 
of  military  stores,  and  the  supplies  of  the  soldiers  and  prisoners ;  but  also 
from  its  having  been  made  the  means  of  affording  encouragement  to  manu- 
factures, es])ecially  those  of  woollens  for  the  use  of  the  army.  To  this  may 
be  ascribed  in  a  great  measure  the  establishment  of  woollen  manufactures  in 
the  County. 


72 


NOTE  B. 

The  death  of  Charles  Baker,  Esq.,  formerly  a  teacher  in  this  school,  is  too 
affecting  to  pass  unnoticed.  This  occurred  at  Conway,  his  native  town, 
where  he  had  been  on  a  visit  to  his  friends.  May  29th,  1829,  in  the  31st  year 
of  his  age.  He  had  taken  a  seat  in  the  stage  for  Pittsfield.  A  violent  thun- 
der shower  coming  up  as  the  stage  was  stopping  at  the  post-office,  Mr.  Baker 
got  out  and  went  in,  and  was  struck  down  dead  by  lightning  in  an  instant. 
Oliver  Warner  of  Phelps,  Y.  Y.,  who  was  standing  near,  was  killed  also.  A 
gentleman  sitting  between  them,  who  adopted  the  precaution  suggested  by 
Dr.  Franklin,  of  putting  his  feet  upon  the  rounds  of  his  chair,  escaped  un- 
hurt. Mr.  Baker  had  practiced  law  in  Williamstown  some  years  before  com- 
ing to  this  place. 


NOTE  C. 

It  has  appeared  in  the  foregoing  history  that  many  from  other  places  who 
have  settled  in  the  town,  were  collegiately  educated.  The  proportional  num- 
ber of  natives  educated  at  Williams  College,  suggest?  the  influence  of  that 
institution  in  advancing  education  in  this  section  of  the  commonwealth. 


JVatives  of  Pittsfield  who  have  received  a  Collegiate  Educatioyi. 


Thomas  Allen,  Jr. 
William  P.  White. 
William  Stoddard. 
Judah  A.  Lee, 
Thomas  B.  Strong, 
David  W.  Childs, 
Perry  G.  Childs, 
Charles  Goodrich,  Jr. 
Henry  H.  Childs, 
William  Allen, 
Jashub  B.  Luce, 
Thomas  A.  Gold, 
Timothy  Childs, 
Sylvester  Larned, 
Solomon  M.  Allen, 
Charles  Larned. 
Joshua  N.  Danforth, 
Charles  Dillingham, 
George  W.  Campbell, 
Henry  K.  Strong, 
James  D.  Colt,  1st. 
Samuel  A.  Allen, 


H.     1789 


W.  1799 

Y.  1800 

W.  1800 

W.  1800 

Y.  1797 

W  1S02 

H.  1802 

W.  1804 

W.  1806 

W.  1811 

W.  1S13 

D.  1813 


W. 

w. 
u. 


1818 
1819 
1820 


U.     1821 
TJ. 
W.     1825 


Nathan  Willis,  H. 

James  K.  Kellogg,  U. 

George  W.  Francis,  U. 

Samuel  D.  Colt,  W.  1829 

Jesse  W.  Goodrich,  U.  1829 

Israel  Dickinson,  W.  1830 

David  White,  W.  1S31 

Butler  Goodrich,  U.  1832 

Charles  E.  West,  U.  1832 

Thomas  Allen,  U.  1832 

William  G.  Weston,  W.  1832 

Hubbard  Beebe,  W.  1833 

James  D.  Colt,  2d.  W.  1838 

William  W.  Edwards,  W.  1838 

Joseph  M.  Bush,  W.  1838 

Calvin  G.  Martin,  W.  1839 

James  M.  Burt,  W.  1840 

Timothy  Childs,  W.  1841 

Thomas  Colt,  W.  1842 

Lemuel  B.  Gay,  W.  1843 

William  Allen,  U.  1844 

James  C.  Clapp,  W.  1S44 


73 


Physicians  in 

Pitt 

'sfichl. 

Birtli  Place. 

Birth  Place. 

Timothy  Childs,* 

Decrfield. 

Orrin  Wright. 

Jonathan  Lee.* 

Rcnni't  + 

iji^mid.  1 

William  Kiltredge.* 

Gunn.f 

Gilbert  Jennie,  t 

Joh 

n  P.  Bachelder, 

M.  D.j 

Daniel  James. f 

Job 

n  De  Lamatter, 

M.  D.1 

04     ,      t                     I     X 

William  Coleman, 

J 

Amherst. 

oiui  levant.  I 

Horatio  Jones. f     •  ■ 

Stockbridge, 

Oliver  S.  Root,  M.  ; 

D.        Pittsfield. 

H.  H.  Childs,  M.  D. 

Pittsfield. 

Robert  Campbell,  M.  D. 

do. 

Enoch  Pierce, 

Peru. 

Joh 

n  M.  Brewster, 

Becket. 

John  James,  M.  D.f 

Willard  Clough. 

Vt. 

Ira  Wright.f 

Oliver  E.  Brewster, 

Becket. 

As  for  the   Colleges  where  any  of  these 

physicians  have 

;  been  classically 

educated,  see  preceding  catalogue  and  the  p 

receding  history 

*  Deceased. 

t  Removed. 

Lawyers. 

Birth  Place. 

Educated. 

Ad.  to  the  Bar. 

Woodbridge  Little,* 

Lebanon, 

Y.   1760 

about 

1770 

John  Brown,* 

Sandisfield, 

Y.  1771 

do 

1773 

Ashbel  Strong,* 

N.  Marlborough, 

Y.   177G 

do 

1774 

John  C.  Williams, 

Roxbury, 

H.  1777 

do 

1773-4 

Thomas  Gold,* 

Cornwall,  Ct. 

Y.  1778 

do 

do 

Thomas  Allen,* 

Pittsfield, 

H.  17S9 

do 

1792 

John  W.  Hurlbut,t 

Alford, 

do 

1794 

Ezekiel  Bacon, f 

Stockbridge, 

Y.  1794 

1798 

Thomas  B.  Strong, 

N.  Marlboro' 

Y.  1797 

1800 

Henry  Hubbard, 

Sheffield, 

W.  

1806 

Luther  Washburn,* 

Hardwick, 

1807 

Moses  Heyden,t 

Conway, 

W.  1S04 

1808 

Thomas  A.  Gold, 

Pittsfield, 

W.   1806 

1809 

Jashub  B.  Luce,* 

do 

W.  

do 

Chauncey  Hurlbut,t 

Alford, 

do 

David  Perry,  Jun.f 

Rehoboth, 

do 

John  Hooker,t 

Springfield, 

do 

Fordyce  Merrick, 

Pittsfield, 

1811 

William  C.  Jarvis,t 

Boston, 

do 

Reynold  M.  Kirby,t 

Litchfield,  C 

onn. 

do 

Henry  W.  Taylor, 

Pittsfield, 

1812 

Wolcott  Lawrence, 

Washington, 

do 

Daniel  B.  Bush, 

Pittsfield, 

1814 

Calvin  Martin, 

Hancock, 

do 

George  N.  Briggs,t 

Adams, 

*  Died  in  1 

town. 

t  Removed. 

t  Gov.  Briggs  moved  to  this 

1  place  from  Lanei 

sboro 

ugh  a  few  years  since. 

10 


Educated. 

Ad. 

tn  the  Bar. 

W.   1810 

1817 
do 

Y.   1815 

18-20 

W.   1S18 

1S22 

Y.  1S26 

74 


Birth  place. 
John  Porter, t  Dalton, 

Matthias  R.  Lanckton,Pittsfield, 
Josiah  Hooker, t  Springfield, 

Parker  L,  Hall,  Pownal,  Vt. 

Hon.  Julius  Rockwell, Colebrook,  Ct. 
Ensign  H.  Kellogg,     Sheffield. 

James  D.  Colt,  Pittsfield,  W.  1838 

Thomas  C.  Rodgers,    New  Orleans,  Lou. 
Elias  D.  Merwin,         Troy,  N.  Y. 


NOTE  D. 

Two  Letters  of  Rev.  Thomas  Allen  to  Gen.  Sefh  Pomeroy. 

Pittsfield,  May  4th,  177.5. 
Gejv.  Pomeroy  : — Sir  : 

I  have  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  you  that  a  number  of  gentlemen  from 
Connecticut,  went  from  this  place  last  Tuesday  morning  having  been  joined 
by  Col.  Easton,  Capt.  Dickinson  and  Mr.  Brown,  with  40  soldiers,  on  an  ex- 
pedition against  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point ;  expecting  to  be  reinforced 
by  a  thousand  men  from  the  Grants  above  here  ;  a  post  having  previously  ta- 
ken his  departure  to  inform  Col.  Ethan  Allen  of  the  design  and  desiring  him 
to  hold  his  Green  Mountain  Boys  in  actual  readiness.  The  expedition  has 
been  carried  on  with  the  utmost  secrecy,  as  they  are  in  hopes  of  taking  those 
forts  by  surprise.  We  expect  they  will  reach  those  forts  by  Saturday  next, 
or  Lord's  day  at  farthest.  The  plan  was  concerted  at  Hartford  last  Saturday , 
by  the  Governor  and  Council,  Col.  Hancock,  Mr.  Adams  and  others  from  our 
Province  being  present.  £300  was  drawn  immediately  out  of  the  Treasury 
for  the  aforesaid  purpose,  and  committed  to  those  gentlemen  who  were  here. 
We  earnestly  pray  for  success  in  this  important  expedition  as  the  taking 
those  places  would  afford  us  a  key  to  all  Canada.  There  is,  if  the  accounts 
are  to  be  depended  on,  not  more  than  20  soldiers  at  each  fort,  and  there  is  a 
large  number  of  cannon,  and  I  hear  four  as  excellent  brass  cannon  as  we  could 
wish.  Should  success  attend  this  expedition  we  expect  a  strong  reinforce- 
ment will  be  sent  from  the  western  part  of  Connecticut  to  keep  those  forts  and 
to  repair  and  fortify  them  well.  We  have  had  much  work  here  of  late  with 
the  Tories.  A  dark  plot  has  been  discovered  of  sending  names  down  to 
Gen.  Gage,  in  consequence  of  which,  and  the  critical  situation  of  this  town, 
we  have  been  obliged  to  act  with  vigor,  and  have  sent  Mr.  Jones  and  Graves 
to  Northampton  Gaol,  where  they  now  lie  in  close  confinement ;  and  have 
sent  a  hue  and  cry  after  Major  S.  and  Mr.  L.,  who  have  fled  to  New  York  for 
shelter.  We  hope  it  will  not  be  long  before  they  are  taken  into  custody  and 
committed  to  close  confinement.  Our  Tories  are  the  worst  in  the  Province : 
all  the  effect  the  late  and  present  oj:)erations  have  had  upon  them  is,  they  are 
mute  and  pensive,  and  secretly  wish  for  more  prosperous  days  to  Toryism. 


75 

As  to  your  important  operations,  Sir,  you  have  the  fervent  prayers  of  all 
good  men  that  success  may  attend  them.  I  hope  God  will  inspire  you  with 
wisdom  from  above  in  all  your  deliberations,  and  your  soldiers  with  courage 
and  fortitude,  and  that  Boston  will  be  speedily  delivered  into  your  hands, 
the  General  thereof,  and  all  the  King's  troops,  that  den  of  thieves,  that  nest 
of  robbers,  that  asylum  for  traitors  and  murderers  may  be  broken  up,  and 
never  another  red  coat  from  England  set  foot  on  these  shores.  I  have  been 
concerned  lest  General  Gage  should  spread  the  small  pox  in  your  army. 
May  Heaven  protect  your  army  from  his  wicked  wiles.  May  you  be  shield- 
ed, Sir,  in  the  day  of  battle,  and  obtain  a  complete  victory  over  these  enemies 
of  God  and  mankind.  I  have  but  one  observation  to  make  which  I  have  of- 
ten made  upon  the  histories  I  have  read,  and  then  I  must  put  an  end  to  this 
tedious  epistle  :  it  is  this — Seldom  or  never  do  the  greatest  Generals  duly 
improve  a  victory  when  it  is  obtained. 

I  am.  Sir,  with  great  respect,  Your  obedient,  humble  Servant, 

THOMAS  ALLEN. 

PiTTsFiELD,  May  Uth,  1775. 

Gen.  Pomeroy  : — Sir  : 

I  shall  esteem  it  a  great  happiness  if  I  can  communicate  any  intelligence 
to  you.  Sir,  that  shall  be  of  any  service  to  my  country.  In  my  last  I  wrote 
to  you  of  the  northern  expedition.  Before  the  week  ends,  we  are  in  raised 
hopes,  here,  of  hearing  that  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  are  in  other  hands. 
Whether  the  expedition  fails  or  succeeds  I  will  send  you  the  most  early  in- 
telligence, as  I  look  on  it  as  an  affair  of  great  importance.  Solomon,  the 
Indian  King,  at  Stockbridge,  was  lately  at  Col.  Eastons,  of  this  town,  and 
said  there  that  the  Mohawks  had  not  only  gave  liberty  to  the  Stockbridge  In- 
dians to  join  us,  but  had  sent  them  a  belt  denoting  that  they  would  hold  in 
readiness  500  men,  to  join  us  immediately  on'the  first  notice,  and  that  the 
said  Solomon  holds  an  Indian  post  in  actual  readiness  to  run  with  the  news 
as  soon  as  they  shall  be  wanted.  Should  the  Council  of  War  judge  it  neces- 
sary to  send  to  them  after  being  better  informed  of  the  matter  by  Capt.  Good- 
rich now  in  the  service  ;  if  you  should  issue  out  your  orders  to  Col.  Easton, 
I  make  no  doubt  that  he  would  bring  them  down  soon.  Those  Indians  might 
be  of  great  service,  should  the  King's  troops  march  out  of  Boston,  as  some 
think  they  undoubtedly  will  upon  the  arrival  of  their  recruits,  and  give  no 
battle. 

Our  Militia,  this  way.  Sir,  are  vigourously  preparing  for  actual  readiness ; 
adjacent  towns  and  this  town  are  buying  arms  and  ammunition  :  there  is  a 
plenty  of  arms  to  be  sold  at  Albany,  as  yet,  but  we  hear  by  order  of  the  Major, 
&c.,  no  powder  is  to  be  sold  for  the  present  there.  The  spirit  of  liberty  runs 
high  there,  as  you  have  doubtless  heard  by  their  post  to  our  head  quarters. 
I  have  exerted  myself  to  disseminate  the  same  spirit  in  King's  District,  which 
has  of  late  taken  a  surprising  effect.  The  poor  Tories  at  Kinderhook  are 
mortified  and  grieved,  and  are  wheeling  about,  and  begin  to  take  the  quick 
step.  New  York  government  begins  to  be  alive  in  the  glorious  cause,  and  to 
act  with  great  vigor.     Some  this  way  say  that  the  King's  troops  will  carry  off 


76 

all  the  plate,  merchandise  and  plunder  of  the  town  of  Boston,  to  pay  them 
for  their  ignominious  expedition  which,  in  my  opinion  would  not  be  at  all 
inconsistent  with  the  shameful  principles  of  those  who  have  sent  them  on  so 
inglorious  an  expedition. 

I  fervently  pray,  Sir,  that  our  Council  of  War  may  be  inspired  with  wis- 
dom from  above,  to  direct  the  warlike  enterprise  with  prudence,  discretion 
and  vigor.  0  may  your  councils  and  deliberations  be  under  the  guidance 
and  blessing  of  Heaven.  Since  I  began,  an  intelligible  person,  who  left  Ti- 
conderoga  Saturday  before  last,  informs  me,  that  having  went  through  there 
and  Crown  Point  about  three  weeks  ago,  all  were  secure;  but  on  his  return, 
he  found  they  were  alarmed  with  our  expedition,  and  would  not  admit  him 
into  the  fort:  that  there  were  twelve  soldiers  at  Crown  Point,  and  he  judged 
near  two  hundred  atTiconderoga  :  that  these  forts  are  out  of  repair  and  much 
in  ruins  :  that  it  was  his  own  opinion  our  men  would  undoubtedly  be  able  to 
take  them  ;  and  that  he  met  our  men  last  Thursday,  who  were  well  furnish- 
ed with  cattle  and  wagons  laden  with  provisions,  and  in  good  spirits,  who  he 
supposed  would  arrive  there  last  Sabbath  day,  and  he  doubted  not  but  this 
week  they  would  be  in  possession  of  those  forts.  He  informed  them  where 
they  might  obtain  a  plenty  of  ball,  and  there  are  cannon  enough  at  Crown 
Point,  which  they  cannot  secure  from  us ;  that  he  saw  the  old  Sow  from 
Cape  Breton,  and  a  number  of  good  brass  cannon  at  Ticonderoga.  Should 
this  expedition  succeed,  and  should  the  Council  of  War  send  up  their  orders 
for  the  people  this  way  to  transport  by  land  twenty  or  thirty  of  the  best  can- 
non to  head  quarters,  I  doubt  not  but  the  people  in  this  country  would  do  it 
with  all  expedition.  We  could  easily  collect  a  thousand  yoke  of  cattle  for 
the  business. 

Since  I  wrote  the  last  paragraph,  an  express  has  arrived  from  Benedict 
Arnold,  commander  of  the  forces  against  Ticonderoga,  for  recruits :  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  orders  are  issued  out  for  a  detachment  of  eighteen  men 
of  each  company  in  this  regiment  to  march  immediately,  who  will  be  on  their 
way  this  day.         I  am.  Sir,  with  great  respect,  your  humble  servant, 

THOMAS  ALLEN. 

[General  Pomeroy,  to  whom  the  above  letters  were  addressed,  appears  to 
have  been  at  Cambridge  at  their  respective  dates.] 


NOTE  E. 

Members  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  from  Pittsfield. 

Simon  Larned,  from  1806  to  1807.    George  N.  Briggs,  from  1S31  to  1843. 
Ezekiel  Bacon,      "     1807  to  1813.    Julius  Rockwell,  1844. 
John  W.  Hurlbut,  "     1815  to  1817. 


77 


Members  of  the  Provincial  Congress  of  Massachusetts,  from  Pittsfield. 

John  Brown,  Feb.  1.'),  I77'i.  Charles  Goodrich,  March  22,  1770. 

Members  of  the  Se?iate  of  the  State. 


Timothy  Childs,  1805  to  1809. 
Phinehas  Alien,  1S19  to  1821. 
Jonathan  Allen,  1822  and  23. 


Samuel  M.  McKay,  1829. 
Thomas  F.  Pluukett,  ISU  and  42. 


Members  of  the  Governor's  Council. 


John  C.  Williams,  1S17-1S. 
Nathan  Willis,  1821-5,6. 


Joshua  Danforth,  1827-8. 


Representatives  to  the  State  Legislature. 


Pittsfield  first  represented  May  31,  1709,  by 


Capt  Charles  Goodrich. 
1770, 

Capt.  Charles  Goodrich 
1771, 

William  Williams. 

William  Williams. 

1773, 
Capt.  Charles  Goodrich. 

1774, 
James  Easton. 

1775, 
Capt.  Charles  Goodrich, 
Israel  Dickinson. 

1776, 
Valentine  Rathbun, 
Israel  Dickinson. 

1777, 
Valentine  Rathbun, 
Josiah  Wright, 
Eli  Root. 

1778, 
Gol.  John  Brown. 

1779, 
Col.  William  Williams, 
James  Noble. 

1780, 
Capt.  Charles  Goodrich. 

1781, 
Col.  William  Williams. 

17S2, 
No  one. 

1783, 
No  one. 

1784, 
Dr.  Timothy  Chtlds. 


1785, 

Capt  Charles  Goodrich. 

1786, 
Dr.  Timothy  Childs. 

1787, 
Henry  Van  Skaack, 
Capt.  David  Bush. 

1788, 
Capt.  David  Bush, 
Woodbridge  Little. 

1789, 
Woodbridge  Little. 

1790, 
Woodbridge  Little. 

1791, 
Simon  Larned. 

1792, 
Capt.  Daniel  Hubbard, 
Dr.  Timotliy  Childs. 

1793, 
Capt.  Daniel  Hubbard, 
Dr.  Timothy  Childs. 

1794, 
John  C.  Williams. 

1795, 
John  C.  Williams. 

1796, 
John  C.  Williams. 

1797, 
John  C.  Williams. 

1798, 
John  C.  Williams. 

1799, 
Ashbel  Strong. 

1800, 
John  C.  Williams. 


1801, 

Joshua  Danforth. 

1802, 
Joshua  Danforth. 

1803, 
Joshua  Danforth. 

1804, 
Dr.  Timothy  Childs, 
Thomas  Allen,  Jun. 

1805, 
Thomas  Allen,  Jun., 
Simeon  Griswold. 

1806, 
Joshua  Danforth, 
Simeon  Griswold. 

1807, 
Simeon  Griswold, 
John  Churchill. 

1808, 
Joshua  Danforth, 
John  Churchill, 
Joseph  Shearer. 

1809, 
Simeon  Griswold, 
John  Churchill, 
Joseph  Shearer. 

1810, 
John  Churchill, 
Joseph  Shearer, 
James  Brown, 
Oren  Goodrich. 

1811, 
Timothy  Childs, 
James  Brown, 
Oren  Goodrich, 
Horace  Allen. 


78 


1812, 

Timothy  Childs, 
Oren  Goodrich, 
Jonathan  Allen, 
John  B.  Root. 

1813, 
John  B.  Root, 
Caleb  Wadhams, 
John  Dickinson, 
Simeon  Bromn. 

1814, 
Timothy  Childs, 
Simeon  Griswold, 
John  Churchill, 
Phinehas  Allen. 

1815, 
Oren  Goodrich, 
John  Dickinson, 
Phinehas  Allen, 
Oliver  Robbins. 

1816, 
Jonathan  Allen, 
Oliver  Robbins, 
Joel  Stevens, 
Henry  H.  Childs. 

1817, 
Jonathan  Allen. 

1818, 
Phinehas  Allen. 

1819, 
Oren  Goodrich. 

1820, 
Jonathan  Allen. 

1821, 
Jonathan  Allen, 
William  C.  Jarvis. 

1822, 
William  C.  Jarvis. 

1823, 
William  C.  Jarvis, 
Daniel  B.  Bush, 
Samuel  M.  McKay, 
Oren  Goodrich. 


1824, 
William  C.  Jarvis, 
Samuel  M.  McKay. 

1825, 
Samuel  M.  McKay. 

1826, 
Samuel  M.  McKay, 
Matthias  R.  Lanckton. 

1827, 
Matthias  R.  Lanckton, 
Thomas  B.  Strong, 
Daniel  B.  Bush, 
Henry  H.  Childs. 

1828, 
Thomas  B.  Strong, 
Daniel  B.  Bush, 
Samuel  M.  McKay, 
Daniel  H.  Francis. 

1829, 
Thomas  B.  Strong. 

1830, 
Daniel  H.  Francis, 
Jonathan  Allen, 
Joseph  Merrick, 
Hosea  Merrill,  Jun. 

1831, 
Nathan  Willis, 
Hosea  Merrill,  Jun., 
Jonathan  Allen,2d, 
Josiah  Stearns. 

1832, 
Nathan  Willis, 
Thomas  B.  Strong, 
Jonathan  Allen,  2d., 
Josiah  Stearns. 

1833, 
Samuel  M.  McKay, 
Thomas  Melville, 
John  Churchill, 
Charles  B.  Francis. 

1834, 
Samuel  M.  McKay, 
Julius  Rockwell, 


Robert  Campbell, 
Charles  B.  Francis. 

1835, 
Julius  Rockwell, 
Robert  Campbell, 
Matthias  R.  Lanckton, 
Jabez  Peck, 
Daniel  Stearns,  Jun., 

1836, 
Julius  Rockwell, 
Jabez  Peck, 
Matthias  R.  Lanckton, 
Butler  Goodrich, 
Jason  Clapp. 

1837, 
Julius  Rockwell, 
Butler  Goodrich, 
Jason  Clapp, 
Henry  Daniels, 
Amos  Barnes. 

1838, 
Amos  Barnes, 
Henry  Hubbard. 

1839, 
George  W.  Campbell, 
Solomon  L.  Russell. 

1840, 
Jabez  Peck, 
James  Francis, 
Comfort  B.  Piatt. 

1841, 
James  Francis, 
Comfort  B.  Piatt. 

1842, 
Abel  West. 

1843, 
Ensign  H.  Kellogg, 
Griffin  Chamberlain. 

1844, 
Ensign  H.  Kellogg, 
Titus  Goodman, 


NOTE  F. 


Cemeteries — Mortality — Remarks  on  the  general  healthfulness  of  the 
place. 

"In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death,"  and  though  our  great  concern 
should  be  to  have  our  souls  prepared  to  go  and  dwell  with  God,  yet  provision 
should  be  made  for  the  decent  interment  of  the  body,  destined  to  lie  in  the 
dust  until  the  resurrection.  In  the  first  warrant  for  calling  a  meeting  of  the 
proprietors  of  this  township,  after  their  incorporation  in  1753,  one  article 


79 

was,  "  to  see  if  they  could  agree  upon  some  suitable  place  or  places  for  the 
burying  of  the  dead."  The  ground  first  contemplated  for  this  purpose,  was 
probably  that  in  the  centre,  back  of  the  Congregational  Church,  which  has 
been  used  by  the  English  inhabitants  as  their  principal  cemetery,  until 
recently.  The  first  burial  in  town  took  place,  and  it  is  supposed  here,  in 
1757 ;  though  the  yard  does  not  appear  to  have  been  cleared  then,  nor  for 
many  years  afterwards  ;  for  in  Nov.  1769,  the  people  voted  *'  to  clear  ground 
for  a  burying  place."  Some  forty  or  fifty  years  since,  a  small  grave  yard  was 
laid  out  in  the  west  part  of  the  town,  and  another  in  the  extreme  east.  In 
1834,  a  large  lot  of  eight  or  ten  acres,  a  little  northeast  of  the  central  yard, 
was  appropriated  as  a  cemetery,  and  much  of  it  has  been  sold  in  lots  for  the 
accommodation  of  families.  Many  recently  dead  have  been  buried  in  it,  and 
many  bodies  have  been  removed  to  it  from  the  old  yard,  (now  forbidden  to 
be  used  any  more  for  the  purposes  of  interment.)  Numerous  monuments 
already  appear  in  it. 

From  17.57  to  May,  1808,  a  period  of  fifty-one  years,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allen, 
the  first  minister  of  the  town,  states  in  round  numbers,  that  the  burials  in 
town  were  1000,  making  nearly  twenty  a  year  on  an  average.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  town  for  a  large  portion  of  this  period,  is  too  imperfectly  known 
to  authorize  from  this  statement  any  very  definite  calculations  respecting  the 
general  healthfulness  of  the  place.  It  is  apparent,  however,  from  this,  that 
the  town  could  not  have  been  considered  on  the  whole  as  sickly.  On  the 
other  hand  there  are  facts  in  abundance  to  show  that  the  place  is  favorable 
to  health  and  longevity,  in  common  with  the  towns  in  the  vicinity.  Owing 
to  the  greater  breadth  of  the  Housatonic  valley,  and  to  the  number  of  streams 
and  ponds,  it  is  true  "  the  air  is  more  humid  than  in  some  parts  of  Berkshire, 
and  the  quantity  of  dew  is  considerably  greater."  The  humidity  does  not 
appear  to  affect  essentially  the  health  of  residents.  There  are  here  no  pecul- 
iar local  causes  of  disease,  and  endemics  have  been  less  frequent  than  in  some 
towns  in  the  County. 

Among  the  evidences  that  the  town  is  healthy,  one  is  the  longevity  to 
which  a  considerable  number  have  attained.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Allen,  before 
referred  to,  affirms  that  in  1808,  there  were  twenty-  two  men  then  living,  over 
72  years  of  age.  Before  and  since  that  time  we  find  the  following  persons, 
among  others,  dying  very  aged  : — David  Bush,  Aaron  Baker,  Simeon  Crofoot 
and  Timothy  Cadwell,  died  aged  fourscore ;  John  Baker  and  Oliver  Root, 
aged  So;  Nathaniel  Fairfield  aged  87;  William  Francis  aged  88;  Jacob 
Ensign,  Daniel  Sacket  and  Benj.  Keeler,  aged  89;  Zebadiah  Stiles]died  at  90; 
Mrs.  Deming,  wife  of  Solomon,  at  92 ;  and  Charles  Goodrich,  Esq.  at  90. 

There  have  been  years  of  unusual  sickness  and  mortality  here  as  in  other 
places ;  but  they  have  not  been  very  frequent.  In  June,  177.5,  it  is  mentioned 
in  a  vote  of  the  town,  as  a  reason  for  requesting  Dr.  Timothy  Childs  to  return 
home  from  the  army,  that  it  was  very  sickly :  what  the  sickness  was  is  not 
stated.  That  year,  however,  the  deaths  were  only  twenty-one.  The  only 
endemic  here  of  importance,  originating  from  a  known  cause,  was  a  fever  of 
the  intermittent  type,  occasioned  by  a  dam  over  the  west  branch  of  the  Hou- 
satonic, causing  the  overflow  of  an  extensive  marsh  back,  beginning  about 


80 

1783,  and  continuing  several  years.  By  this,  sickness  was  spread  extensively 
in  the  town,  and  the  mortality  somewhat  increased.  In  other  years,  when 
there  has  been  the  greatest  mortality,  some  epidemic  has  prevailed  more  or 
less  over  this  region  of  country.  In  1808  and  '9,  the  scarlet  fever  prevailed' 
and  in  the  latter  year  there  were  forty-nine  deaths,  though  in  the  former  there 
were  but  twenty-four.  In  1810,  in  the  rage  of  the  spotted  fever,  there  were 
forty  deaths,  and  in  1811,  forty-one.  In  1812  and  13,  a  disease  prevailed, 
sometimes  styled  the  "  old  epidemic,"  (pneumonia  typhoides.)  In  the  first 
year,  however,  there  were  only  twenty-four  deaths ;  in  the  second,  there 
were  sixty-eight,  (a  very  great  mortality ; )  and  the  year  following  there  were 
forty. 

With  the  exception  of  these  years,  and  some  few  others,  the  people  have 
been  blessed  with  general  health.  Most  who  have  gone  to  the  great  congre- 
gation of  the  dead  have  gone  in  the  ordinary  course  of  Divine  Providence. 


[The  subjoined  statement  is  given,  though  not  referred  to  in  the  text.] 

Support  of  the  Poor. 
The  inhabitants  of  this  place  many  years  since  were  in  the  habit  of  sup- 
porting their  paupers  by  employing  persons  to  keep  them,  who  were  willing 
to  keep  them  on  the  lowest  terms,  one,  two,  three  or  more  in  a  family,  as  cir- 
cumstances rendered  most  convenient.  Thus  they  were  scattered  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  town.  From  1812  to  1832,  they  were  kept  together  by  the 
lowest  bidder ;  for  the  first  ten  or  twelve  years,  for  ij^llOO,  and  for  the  remain- 
der of  the  period,  for  about  ^1350  a  year.  In  1831,  a  farm  was  purchased  in 
the  west  part  of  the  town,  and  every  necessary  was  procured  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  poor  by  the  1st  of  May,  1832. 

The  farm  (containing  ninety  acres,)  cost  $2323  50 
"     Stock,  315  52 

"     Farming  utensils,  51  82 

"     Buildings  and  repairs,  592  26 

"     Furniture,  423  94 


Total,  #3707  04 

The  people  were  fortunate  in  the  purchase  of  the  farm,  and  in  the  selec- 
tion of  an  overseer,  and  the  result  is  a  great  saving  of  expense  to  the  town, 
while  the  poor  are  placed  in  circumstances  of  greater  comfort,  and  are  more 
contented  and  happy.  The  pastors  of  the  churches  visit  and  instruct  them. 
Should  the  temperance  reformation  go  on  to  its  desired  consummation,  the 
number  of  paupers  here  as  well  as  elsewhere,  will  be  greatly  diminished ; 
and  as  for  those  who  are  poor  through  Providence  of  God,  nothing  can  be 
more  reasonable,  than  that  their  more  favored  brethren  should  provide  for 
their  support.  They  ought  to  be  furnished  not  only  with  subsistence,  but 
with  the  means  of  grace,  that  through  the  blessing  of  God  they  may  be  rich 
in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the  kingdom  which  God  has  provided  for  them  that 
love  him. 


Error— On  p.  19,  18lh  line  from  top,  for  seventy,  read,  about  75  or  80. 


